Stardashcircle
by rika195
Summary: When a strange earthquake hits every single digidestined, but nothing else, the chosen are forced to put aside their differences and ally together to fight a new force of evil, an unknown evil called NW. Action and romance! Surprise parings. [scifi]
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! Well, this is my first fanfic and whatnot, so I'm a little nervous. I don't know if anyone will like it or not, but I hope so. So please review it and let me know how bad it is, or if I should continue! Thanks guys!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of its characters, or its world, or any of that kind of stuff, but I love it to death, and so I'm compelled to continue where it left off.**

**Note: Although I do not own any of the original Digimon characters, I have made up my own characters. These guys are mine, and….yeah. They're mine.**

**Okay, I'll start now.**

Three years have passed since the last group of digidestined returned from saving the digital world, and so far, the digital world has finally been at peace. It seemed like perhaps there was no more need for the digidestined to return at all.

Takuya Kanbara slammed his math book closed and rubbed his aching forehead with a groan. Math was his least favorite subject, and learning to factor trinomials was giving him a headache. It didn't matter how many times the process was explained to him, he just didn't retain it!

"Whatever happened to being digital?" he sighed, brushing a lock of unruly brown hair out of his face.

His hair definitely needed a trim, but he had been reluctant to let his mom cut it. Last time she had given him a hair cut, he ended up with a cut ear and a crooked look. For now, he just went to school with his hair crammed under his favorite trucker hat, which was red and said "FREAK." He didn't know why he liked it so much, but he figured it was because he was one of the only ones who knew about the digital world, besides Kouji and the others, and everyone else he told—like his brother and his parents—thought he was either making it up, or just a freak.

He smashed the hat down on his head now, and threw himself on the bed. "I'll worry about math later," he mumbled, deciding to take a nap instead. His eyes barely closed before a rumbling throughout the entire house snapped him back into reality.

"Earthquake!" he shouted, rushing to the doorframe like his parents had taught him. Or was he supposed to get under a table? "I can't remember what to do!" he shouted down the stairs.

"Takuya!" Mrs. Kanbara nearly shrieked. From where Takuya stood, he could see her clutching his 11-year-old brother Shinya so tight he was having trouble breathing. "Get under a strong table, or in a doorframe!"

"I am!" Takuya answered. He gulped down a lump that was beginning to form in his throat, and felt it sink into his stomach. What if their house collapsed? What if someone got hurt? "Oh please don't let anything happen to our house…" he mumbled, not sure who he was asking, but hoping someone up there would hear him anyway. He gripped the sides of the door frame and hoped for the best.

(----------------)

Kouji Minamoto scratched his dog's ear, his mind wandering. Today had been a strange day. His Father's job had required yet another move to a new house and a new school, for the fourth time in the last three years. Strange enough, this time they had moved back to Odaiba, the only place Kouji had been remotely close to calling home. It was comforting to him in a way, to be so close to his friends again. Sure, they called each other on the phone a lot, but seeing them face-to-face was different. Besides…he was closer to Kouichi now.

A grin spread across his face. He remembered all the times he and kouichi had snuck away from their houses to meet up somewhere else and spend time together. Those were the best times in the world. And now, he could do it again!

"I'm back in Odaiba, where everything happened," he sighed, speaking either to his dog, or to himself. It didn't matter which. "But this time, I'm going to a whole new school, and living in a whole new neighborhood. As much as I love being back here again, I'm sick of all this moving! I wish Dad's job wouldn't ask him to move so much."

The thought of going to another new school upset him. He hated meeting tons of new people that didn't care an inch about him. His only hope was if he met someone he knew, or if by some miracle, Kouichi went to the same school. However, that was probably impossible.

A jerk of the leash in Kouji's hand brought him out of his thoughts. "Hey boy, what's wrong?" He frowned, and pulled his dog back, as the dog barked and yelped and tried to dash away. "What's wrong with you? You've never acted like this before?"

A sudden rumble in the earth knocked Kouji off his feet, and he fell on his bum unceremoniously. Without wasting a second, his dog leapt out of reach and dashed away, as the earthquake continued to grow in intensity. Suddenly, it all made sense. Of course his dog would know if an earthquake was coming, and he would also know where to go to be safe! As quickly as he could, Kouji tried to follow his dog to get to safety. At the moment, if a tree decided to fall on him, or if the earth decided to open up and swallow him, he'd be in danger. He had to get somewhere safe.

"Wait up for me!" he called after his dog, as he struggled to stay on his feet.

(-------------------------)

Tai was trying to talk to Izzy about a problem on his computer over the phone when it happened. The line went dead.

"Izzy?" Tai frowned. "Hello?"

"Tai, the neighbors dog is acting really weird," Kari walked into the house with a strange look on her face. "It was yelping and running as fast as it could, but it didn't seem to know where to go. I wonder what's wrong."

"Man, Izzy hung up on me!" Tai slammed the phone on its ringer and threw himself on his couch. He hadn't really listen to what Kari said in the first place.

"I think something's happening," she mumbled, crossing her arms. She brushed a strand of loose brown hair out of her face and bit her lip. "I can always tell when something's not right."

"You mean digitally?" Tai asked, his curiosity piquing up. He glanced at his sister thoughtfully. She was slender, and taller than she used to be, and her hair was longer. It looked better longer, but no matter how many times he told her this, she still insisted she like it short better. Why she still kept it long was a mystery to Tai, so he shrugged it off.

"I think so."

Then the earthquake hit. The sudden shaking of the house erupted a scream from Kari as she dashed toward the door to get in the doorframe. She had always been told this was the strongest part of the house, and now she took advantage of it.

Tai dove under the table.

"I told you something was up!" 14-year-old Kari called to Tai shakily. Tai couldn't tell whether the earthquake caused her shakiness, or whether she was just scared.

"Yeah well, this seems more like a natural disaster than a digital one!" Tai argued back. "We're just so paranoid we blame everything on the digimon!"

"And we're usually right," she countered sulkily.

And then, as soon as it had started, it stopped, leaving the house a mess.

Tai waited expectantly for an after quake or something, but none came. Eventually, he crawled out from under the table.

"That was scary," Kari breathed, looking like she'd been holding her breath.

"Tell me about it." Tai stretched his back and looked around. "Well, we'd better clean up…" he leaned over to pick up the phone, and jumped back in surprise when it rang. Surprised, he picked it up. "Hello?" he asked, too startled to mention that this was the Kamiya house, and the person on the other line was talking to Taichi.

"Tai?" Izzy's voice sounded over the line. "Did you feel that?"

"Yes of course I did!" Tai frowned. "So if the phone line went down, how can we talk on the phone?"

"It didn't Tai. My house was the only one on the block that had an earthquake." Izzy sounded grave and worried. "If you had an earthquake too, then I'm concerned. Isn't a little strange that you and I had an earthquake, but no one else did?"

Tai thought about this for a minute. "I think you're jumping to conclusions Izzy. Try calling the other digidestined if you want to verify that theory. I'll talk to my neighbors. If they didn't get one, and everyone else did…." He frowned and said good-bye, and turned to Kari. "You may be right," he mumbled, before heading out the door.

(---------------------------)

Rika glared at her mother with as much disgust as she could and marched loudly upstairs to her room, slamming the door behind her. What had gotten into her mother's head? "Just because she's a model doesn't mean that I even remotely want to consider trying out to be one!" she hopped on her bed and crossed her arms, sulking. "I thought she agreed not to ask me again! Now she's forcing me to go with her!"

She stared out her bedroom window blindly, not really looking at what was out there, her mind ranting and raving with all the reasons she thought proved she didn't have to go to the modeling tryout tomorrow. When she was sure she had a pretty well-though-out argument, she woke out of her brooding and walked to the window. She lived on a packed street, with houses close enough so that neighbors could look into each others windows. It was a little awkward, and she usually kept her curtains closed. She wasn't even sure who lived directly next door to her, but she did know that their bedroom windows looked right into each other. This was another reason why she kept her curtains closed. But today, the sky was beautiful, and she felt calmer when she was looking at it.

She watched a leaf drift to the ground, wondering why even though she had good friends like Juri, Henry, and Takato, and she still felt so alone. The leaf hit the ground and stayed there, forlorn, on the still ground, as the house began to rumble. Wait...the house was rumbling? Rika gasped and gripped her windowsill tightly as she stared dumbfounded at the ground outside. She could swear that everything else was perfectly still...everything except her house, which was shaking so hard, it felt like the earth was going to rip apart from underneath her and swallow her house whole.

"I've got to get out of here," she breathed, opening her window and jumping out. She landed on the ground and ran toward the street, grateful to be away from her shaking house. "What in going on here anyway?" she asked herself, turning to look at her house. She gaped in surprise when she saw that her house was no longer shaking. It looked as if it had never been in an earthquake in the first place. Before she could even think anything else, she was tossed to the ground as the earth beneath her rolled and shook more violently than it had shook the house.

"This is insane!" she yelled, trying to stay on her feet. "Why is it following me?" she stared desperately around her for help, and could see no one. Struggling to stay on her feet, she fumbled in her pocket for her D-arc and tried to call Takato. Someone had to know what was going on. Why she thought Takato would know was beyond her, but she tried it anyway. "Takato!" she screamed into her D-arc urgently.

"Rika?" Takato sounded frantic. "Can you feel that?"

"The earthquake? Yes. I was just going to ask you the same question!" Rika frowned, and made her way to a tree to hold on. She had nowhere else to turn for support. "How come we can feel it, but no one else can?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm outside. the earthquake is centered around me. No one else has one. And get this, when I was in my house, just my house was shaking. When I left my house, it stopped shaking, but the ground around me started. Tell me that isn't suspicious!"

"I can;t tell you anything except that...it just...stopped." Takato sounded relieved. "But I can probably make an educated guess in saying it could be a _digital _attack against a specific group of people."

"Namely, we Tamers." Rika bit her lip and breathed a sigh of relief as the earhquake suddenly stopped quaking as quickly as it had started. "I have a really bad feeling about this."

"Me too. I'm going to call Henry."

"Good idea. I'll call Ryo. He always seems to know what's going on." Rika rolled her eyes at the thought of her calling Ryo. Everyone knew they were competing over the right of Digital King/Queen. They weren't on the best terms, as they had just gotten into an argument over the matter that hadn't ended well, but Rika was willing to give it up in order to be prepared against an attack. "At least _I'm_ mature," she mumbled, disconnecting her call to Takato. Reluctantly, she connected to Ryo's D-arc, and tried not to think about all the annoying comments he'd probably had about her "appologizing first." "Well... here goes nothing..."

(------------------)

**Well, that's all I've got right now. I am going to be adding every single one of the digidestined, and a few of my own characters too, so it is going to get a ton more interesting. I already have the story planned out in my head, but deciding the best way to write it is hard.**

**Besides, if I'm not careful, it'll get way too long!**

**So tell me how it is, if I should continue, or if it is just not very good. Oh, and anyone who knows…what is Kouji's dog's name? Cuz if no one knows, I'm just going to name it something. So, it would be great if someone who knew could tell me. And also, just so people know, I watched the show in America, and so I know everyones names as Rika instead of Ruki, Davis instead of Daisuke, Tai instead of Taichi, Henry instead of Lee, etc. so that's the way I'm going to write them. It's too hard for me to change now, so I hope nobody really cares...**

**Well, until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

Well hello again! Thank you guys for reading my story! This is one I've been waiting to write down forever. So I'm excited. Anyway, that's enough talk. On with the story.

**By the way, thanks for the review Jesuschic7! I know, I've always loved the idea of bringing all the digidestined together. I love making them know each other without knowing that each other are digidestined. It makes me happy.**

**So here you go!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Nope. But I love it.**

**Note: I do own OC's that you'll be reading here. So if you steal them, I'll know. Although I wont care too much. It'll just prove that they're as cool as I think they are.**

**(------)**

Takuya opened his eyes when he realized that the earthquake had stopped. He breathed a sigh of relief and let go of the doorframe. "What a relief," he whispered. "At least nothing got destroyed or anything…At least, I wish the school did. That would be cool. Then I wouldn't have to worry about my math homework…."

"Hello? Anyone home?" Takuya's father called as he walked into the house. "What was going on in here? I could see the house shaking from a block away! What were you three doing anyway?" He tossed the mail onto the table and looked around, confused. "Why is the house such a mess?"

"We just experienced an earthquake." Mrs. Kanbara frowned and pushed a few strands of hair out of her face. She bent down to pick something up and threw it on the table with the mail. "How nice of the news to not tell us we'd have one. How could something so irregular be left off the news? There's nothing about it anywhere! Why is that?"

Takuya listened to his parent's argument as he rushed down the stairs. He nearly crashed into Shinya. "Sorry," he mumbled, before ignoring his brother and walking up to his parents.

"Earthquake? There was no earthquake," Mr. Kanbara looked at his wife strangely. "What are you talking about?"

"What are _you _talking about? You saw it didn't you?"

"I saw the house shaking. But an earthquake would hit more than just our house!"

"Well what else would it be?" Mrs. Kanbara was upset now.

"I don't know. Was Takuya playing that loud music of his?"

"Dad," Takuya rolled his eyes, interrupting. "It's not THAT loud! I would need a better sound system to shake the house anyway. Speaking of sound systems, I need new speakers…."

"And I need a new video game. I beat all of mine already," Shinya joined in.

"No, you don't. Look, you boys clean up. I have to talk to your mother." Mr. Kanbara shooed them off and took his wife upstairs. As soon as they had entered their room, the two boys turned to glance at each other.

"Why do we have to clean it up?" Shinya asked in a whine.

"Cuz they're the parents, and we're the kids. I'm telling you, they're control freaks!" Takuya teased.

"I believe it." Shinya crossed his arms and sat on the couch. "Still, it was a little weird. No warning, and then suddenly there was an earthquake. Dad said just our house was hit. But how can that be? It's too weird."

"Yeah," Takuya admitted, "it is. To be honest, the instant Dad walked in I've been feeling….I dunno. Worried. Like something's not right."

Shinya nodded, and glanced at his cell-phone, wondering what the time was. Suddenly, he dropped his phone and jumped backwards, screaming as he did so.

"What's with you?" Takuya jumped back, startled by Shinya's outburst. He reached down and picked up Shinya's phone. "Mom says if you break your new cell phone like you did your last one, then you have to pay for it."

Shinya stared wide-eyed at the phone in Takuya's hand, and then glanced up at Takuya. "What on earth does it mean?" He asked. "Who sent me that?"

Confused, Takuya glanced down at the cell phone. A white screen with a short message flashed at him from Shinya's phone urgently.

_Shinya, help me!_

Takuya stared at it quietly before looking up at his younger brother. "Why does this freak you out Shinya?"

"I dunno…." He frowned suspiciously. "I just didn't expect to see that. I mean, we're just talking about how weird the earthquake is……then I'm starting to get shivers down my back…. And then suddenly there's a help message on my phone! What is this, some kind of joke?"

Takuya gulped and stared down at the phone in his hands. It reminded him of one certain adventure that happened three years ago….one he could never forget…. "I think you should answer this."

"WHAT?" Shinya stared at him like he was stupid. "How so? And…. Yeah right! Who's it from?"

"Just answer it. Just say yes or no. Whatever you feel like saying." Takuya handed the phone back and dug in his pocket for his own phone. He was hoping a similar message would appear before him, but what he got instead was not what he expected. Sure, he got a message alright, but his message was a little bit different.

_Takuya, help your brother out on this one._

Takuya blinked, and turned to Shinya. "On second thought Shinya, just say yes. You'll end up there anyway."

"Huh?" Shinya frowned at his brother, confused. "End up where?"

(-----------)

Kouji pulled himself up from the indignity of falling flat on his face, and suddenly realized that the earthquake had stopped. He was close to his house, but somehow, he felt strangely distant from everything around him. It was like, even though he had just experienced a quick but terrible earthquake, the rest of the world was oblivious that it had happened.

"Zaiev?" Kouji called his dog over warily. "What just happened?" He hardly expected his dog to answer him, but he had no one else to talk to. His dog came up to him whimpering, looking just as worried as Kouji felt. "Is it just me, or….were you and I the only ones who felt the earthquake?"

Kouji patted his dog on the head and walked toward his house. He was about to go in when he heard a neighbor yelling to someone in her phone. He would have ignored her if she hadn't used the word "earthquake." Curious, he turned around and watched her, listening to her.

She looked like she was around his age. She had long brown hair which she kept tied in a sloppy bun, and had a pair of sunglasses on top of her head. She was wearing running capris, and a sports tank-top, and both were black with a yellow stripe going down the sides. She was gripping a tree next to her house as if it were her life.

"Yes I felt the earthquake," she yelled into her phone. "What does it mean? How come it was only centered around me? Takato felt it too." She listened briefly for a moment, and then groaned in frustration. "How does that tell me anything? Where are you anyway?" She blinked and let go of the tree in a sudden jerk. "You're what?" she asked seriously, her shouting and frustration gone. "Oh." She nodded, then hung up, frowned at the road intently, deep in thought.

Kouji frowned too. What did she mean the earthquake was centered around her? Did she feel the same thing he did? Curiosity got the better of him, and he walked up to her. "Um, excuse me," he said with a bow, "but did you feel that too?"

The girl stared at him quietly, her eyes widening slightly. "Who are you?" she demanded.

Kouji shifted his weight and eyed her suspiciously. "Minamoto, Kouji. What about you?" Why was she suddenly so tense? Was it something he said?

"Makino, Rika." Rika returned his bow stiffly and crossed her arms. "Yes I felt it. Did you?"

"Well, obviously," Kouji tried very hard not to sound rude. Well…. Not that hard. She was being rude too.

"I see."

There was silence, and Kouji frowned at her impatiently. "Well?" he asked finally. "What is it you know that I don't? What aren't you telling me? I think I have a right to know."

"Maybe." Rika cocked her head and scrutinized him. "I don't know."

"Well I do." Kouji crossed his arms too, and glared at her. "Why did you…and I…feel that earthquake, and no one else did? Is that just me imagining things? Did everyone else feel it too, and I am just paranoid?"

"You're not paranoid, at least I don't think so anyway. You might be. But as for the earthquake, you and I are the only people on this block who experienced one." Rika stared at him seriously.

Kouji thought about this for a second, and then asked, "why?"

His pocked started buzzing, interrupting their conversation, and he opened his cell phone to stare at the screen. He frowned in shock when he found an urgent message flashing at him.

_Kouji, there is no time to waste. Run. Make sure Rika goes with you!_

"What in the world?" Kouji glanced up at Rika in surprise. "What kind of message is that? Run where?" He shut his mouth as realization dawned on him. He had just received the same kind of message he'd received when Ophanimon first contacted him, leading him to the digital world. "Oh…" he mouthed, looking around him warily. What was he running from?

Zaiev, Kouji's dog, suddenly started growling ferociously. Kouji turned to stare at him in surprise. "Hey boy, what's wrong with you? You never growl like that!"

Rika looked up and Kouji's house and screamed.

Instinct kicked in, and he ducked. It wasn't a moment too soon either. Something whizzed over his head and hit the house across the street, breaking the glass window. The urgency of the message suddenly hit him, and he grabbed Rika's arm. "Let's go!" he shouted, dragging her behind him. He heard Zaiev following, and hoped his dog would be all right. The only thing that mattered right now was to get away from whoever was shooting him, and to make sure Rika came with him.

(-------)

Tai and Kari stared at the TV screen in their living room, not sure what to say. It had just suddenly popped up, startling both of them. And neither of them knew what to say. It was just there, on the screen. Haunting, and yet exciting.

_You are in another battle, as we speak, my friends. And this time, you are alone. But do not think of it as being alone, for you have each other to count on. We will help as we can, but it is too late for us to escape now. Only you can defeat this evil this time._

The message was on the screen long enough for them to read it and think about it, and then it was gone. No one needed to tell them who had sent it. They both knew it was from the digital world.

"Another battle?" Kari asked, a slight sigh in her voice. "Will the Digital World ever find peace?"

"I doubt it," Tai tried to force on a smile. In his opinion, he was getting a little old to be going to the Digital World. He was 17 now! "Looks like they'll always need our help."

"At least we're _willing _to help them!" Kari frowned at her older brother and sat down next to him. She emphasized the word "willing" just to indicate she knew what he was thinking.

"Yeah maybe, but did you read what it said?" Tai complained. "It said we're alone this time! That means no digimon to help us out! We're alone!"

"What happened to your usual optimisim?" Kari teased. "Did it ever occur to you that perhaps the reason they can't help us is because it's not a digimon problem? What if it's a _human _problem?"

Tai felt a lump form in his stomach, and he grimaced at the thought. "Meaning, someone could have found out about the digital world, someone who would try and…." He didn't exactly know what they would try and do, but he knew the choices weren't good. He nodded. It made sense. They would have to try and fight for the digital world again. Except…. They wouldn't have digimon to help them. They were fighting humans. The prospect wasn't pretty.

"What do we do then?" he asked himself more than Kari. After all, he was the leader, wasn't he? "We don't know who the enemy is."

"Well, we'd better try to find out. If the enemy knows about the digimon they may know about us. That earthquake probably isn't coincidental." Kari gazed up at him calmly. "We could be under attack. Remember the message said we were in a battle right now?"

"Yes…" Tai suddenly became protective. "Kari, we've got to get somewhere safe where we can research this further. I'm going to call Izzy. We could use his knowledge to help us."

"Do you think we should call a meeting together?"

"Yes, that's a good idea. Well… no… maybe that'll make us easier to attack! I don't know….. um…" Tai groaned and paced the room. "I think we should go to a highly populated area to meet, and I think we should probably call a meeting. The more people there are in the area, the less I think the enemy will do against us. I think….. And anyway, we need to discover a home base of sorts. If this is a battle, we need to be prepared."

Kari shook her head as she stood up, sighing. "We may already be too late."

(----------)

The bullet zoomed over the target, just missing his head. If he had just stayed standing, the bullet would have only gotten his shoulder. The shooter frowned in annoyance. His element of surprise was now over. He'd have to try a different method. Aiming a second time, he planned out where the target was headed, and pulled the trigger.

This time, his shot rang true. He grinned as his target stumbled and fell over in the middle of a run, gripping his leg. Bulls-eye. This guy would not be running anywhere at the moment.

"Target is immobilized," he said through his communicator, contacting Mission Control. "I'm going to bring him in."

"Nice work Aim. Don't let him get away."

"I wont." Aim jumped off the roof and hurried up to where Kouji Minamoto had fallen to the ground. The girl was standing there stupidly, looking lost. She was no threat at the moment. The dog however, was a little bit more dangerous.

"Get him, Zaiev," Kouji growled, clutching his leg and glaring at Aim like a wounded animal. "Rip him to pieces!"

The dog nearly jumped at his throat if Aim had not zapped him with a taser. He didn't really want to kill the dog, but he would if he had to. "You don't want me to kill him do you?" Aim asked casually, electrocuting the dog and sending it scurrying over to Kouji's side in fright. "He's a good dog. I'd hate to lose him if I were you."

"And who are you?" The girl had suddenly come to life. "Why are you…." She lost her voice and stared at him angrily. She was trembling slightly.

"Why did I shoot him?" Aim reached down and handcuffed Kouji, keeping an eye on the growling dog. "Its my job. What else can I say?"

"The truth. Or at least the rest of the story!" the girl crossed her arms. Aim stiffened, alerted to her sudden movement.

"Put your hands in the air girly, because one more movement out of you will kill you." He pointed his gun at her at frowned. "What are you hiding in your hand anyway? A phone? Drop it." He walked toward her menacingly. The girl slowly lifted her hands in the air, and dropped her phone. Aim stared at it in shock when he saw that it was no phone. He pulled out another pair of handcuffs and strapped her hands together with them.

"Looks like we got another one," he said to Mission Control with a grin. "I never thought it would be _this _easy!" He reached down and picked up the girls digital device and stuffed it in one of his pockets. If looks could kill, the glare she was giving him right now would have killed him a hundred times over. He winked at her. "Tough luck, eh?" Her glare just intensified.

With that, he pulled Kouji to his feet with one arm, motioned with his gun for the girl to follow him, and walked backwards to where he'd hidden his ride out of here. Zaiev, the dog, looked hesitantly at Kouji, whined, and then ran away. Aim shrugged it off. Who cared where a dog went?

(------------)

Well, I'll end it here because I've run out of time. Sorry guys.

**And since no one knows what Kouji's dog's name is, I named it. Zaiev means wolf in Hebrew, and it sounds so cool, so that's what I named him, just so you know.**

**And again, please review and tell me how I'm doing. I need to know what mistakes I've made, and what is not clear, and all that stuff, because I often overlook things.**

**And Aim is one of my OC's. He's been around for a while, but you guys just haven't met him yet. Sorry for the violence, it just had to happen. Hope I'm not breaking any rules by adding the gun stuff! **

**Thanks again! Rika195**


	3. Chapter 3

**Miss Anonymous hp: Thanks for the review! Yeah, Kouji's leg should get bandaged, but Aim is not always the courteous type. He's evil, what else can I say? As for Kouichi getting mad about it, he doesn't really know its happened now does he? Hee hee! He'll soon find out. Lastly, Shinya as a warrior was a thought I had to think about carefully before deciding to do it, but he fit in so perfectly I decided to anyway. I hope you like what's coming up!**

**JC7: Haha! I love cliff-hangers, and I will continue to do them for my own delight. I'm glad its working. (evil snicker). I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the characters as I add them, because they're all ending up here sometime. And I hope I portray them as their characters should be, so let me know if something ain't right. Thanks!**

**Before I move onto Chapter 3 of my story, I would first like to say this:**

**I do not own Digimon or its characters, so don't get too upset with me. They're not mine ,so I can't claim any rights over them. However, Aim _is _mine, and I'll know if you steal him. (although I'll probably just comment on your story and say "isn't he a cool character?" instead of getting mad.)**

**And for those of you who have expressed a wish to beat Aim up for hurting Kouji, You can go right ahead as soon as you catch him. It's harder than you'd think!**

**Guess what? New OC this chapter! Heh heh heh!**

**(----------)**

Henry stared at the D-arc in his hands with growing apprehension. The last time he had used it was three years ago, when Terriermon was cruelly taken from him and deleted forever. He had tried to forget all about the digital world, and his favorite little buddy, but such good and important memories couldn't be washed away forever. His flashing D-arc indicated that no matter how hurt he still felt inside, he still had to make a choice. The digital world was calling for help, and he could either push aside his hurts and help them, or just ignore it.

Henry sighed and shook his head. Who was he kidding? He didn't go through all of that just to turn into a pouting teenager who only cared about his comfort zone. Terriermon or no, he still had to help them. He had been born to do it. Besides, the short but furious earthquake centered around him and Suzie was enough to alert him to the possible danger he was in. Not only would he have to help the digimon, but he would have to protect his sister.

Suzie. She was such a pain sometimes. She always wanted to be independent and carefree. And sometimes she was too mature for her own age. She was 11, and still was acting like she was Henry's age. She still wanted to do everything he got to do. He was often annoyed by her, but he still loved her. He didn't want anything to happen to her.

He glanced over to her now, and watched her intently. She seemed surprisingly calm, and studied his face the same way he studied hers. Suddenly she smiled. "Henry, you know that I'm not staying behind."

"I suppose I don't have any say in it, anymore than I did back then." Henry stuck his D-arc in his pocket and stared out the house window at the calm and empty street.

"This isn't going to be like back then," Suzie said quietly. She stood up and walked over to her brother. "Did you even read the message on your D-arc?"

Henry nodded. It was a strange message, speaking of a new threat to the digital world that had come from outside. Presumably, it had come from humans, but how this had happened the message didn't say. It simply said that the digital world was unable to help this time, and it was pleading for Henry to step in and save their world once again.

"Mine says that there is a war going on, and that we're in it right now." Suzie glanced at her message. "It also says that the digital world needs someone to go there to try and help them out." She fidgeted and glanced up at him apologetically. "It's asking me to go."

Henry nodded. His message had also included something about that. _Henry, your sister is needed here, at the digital world. But you must stay behind. You cannot help over here this time. Your kind need you there. _"I know," he whispered. This was all the more reason to try to protect her more. "It's going to be dangerous over there," he warned. "Don't get hurt."

"I wont." Suzie smiled optimistically and hugged her brother. "I'm more worried about you. I think you have it harder than me this time."

"This time?" he gave a wry chuckle. "It was always harder for me because I did more than you."

"That's because you're older." Suzie stuffed her D-arc in her pocket and rushed upstairs to her room.

"Where are you going?" Henry called after her.

"To pack!" her voice carried down the stairs. "I don't want to go there unprepared!"

Henry grinned. She never failed to think about situations wisely, now that she wasn't a hyper-active six-year-old. She was growing up so fast. "Good thinking." He murmured. "The only question I have no is, how do I go about looking for this new threat and, once I find it, how do I stop it?"

He'd probably soon find out the answer to at least one of those questions.

(-----------)

Ryo Akiyama gazed at the silvery disc in front of him as his eyes switched into focus. It took him a minute to realize that he was no longer unconscious. His stiff neck told him that he was still hanging upside down in the top of a tree, and a cramp in his leg informed him that no matter how hard he tried, his leg was trapped tight in the trees with vines and branches. He had no more strength to try and get down.

Groaning, he lifted his swollen arm and rubbed his face. It felt red and hot as all the blood had been rushing to his head. His head was splitting. How long had he been hanging here in this tree, upside down and dangling, with no strength to try and get out?

Then he remembered the disk. Glancing up (which in reality was down) he focused again on the silvery glint and reached for it out of curiosity. It was just out of reach. He ran out of energy and collapsed, panting. It was just too hard to do anything, as every movement caused more blood to rush into his head.

"I'm just going to make myself pass out again," he huffed, trying to breathe properly. It was harder than ever now, since he'd been up here for hours. Shouting for help was no use, as it only caused him to black out, and he was far enough up that no one could hear him or see him in the midst of the full branched tree. He'd probably be up here forever if someone didn't get a kite stuck up here or something.

He was beginning to panic, but knew that if he did, things would not go so well. That would just make the situation worse.

Ryo grumbled to himself, complaining about his situation. If it hadn't been for the stupid earthquake, he wouldn't have gotten into this mess. _Well, that's not true, _he thought. _This all started two years ago, when I got kidnapped. _He shuddered at the memory.

Two years ago, Ryo's world had been turned upside down when a spaceship the size of a small jet had landed right in front of him. He had been walking home from school, trying hard to forget his urges to find another way back to the digital world, and did not know what to think. When an army of over twelve men in battle suits and armed with strange, new-age looking guns had jumped out and kidnapped him, he was too stunned to fight back. That was his first introduction to space.

Since his capture, several things had happened, and he had learned quite a bit. The first and most important thing he learned was that there was a huge war happening in the skies, and Earth had just now been included. There was a war going on over his very own planet, which could change the course of history for eternity. One side wanted to turn Earth into a giant resource and training facility for the war, and the other wanted to protect its individuality. In other words, there was the side that was Earth's enemy, and there was the side that was Earth's ally, and Earth was supposed to remain oblivious to the fact that either side existed till it was too late.

Somewhere in the middle of his capture, Ryo had gotten rescued by the opposing side; the side that was fighting to keep Earth and its Solar System out of the war. They had been focusing on confusing Earth's satellites into thinking their ships of war did not exist, and so far they had done an excellent job. However, his rescue had proved to be disastrous, and the rescue ship had crashed onto a remote planet, leaving Ryo injured and dying, and missing his right arm.

He woke up three months later in a hospital with a mechanical arm.

Ryo glared at his fake limb. He hated it. He hated it because it wasn't real, it wasn't a part of him, and it was a daily reminder that a war was going on for which he could do nothing about. Sure, the "good guys" had returned him to Japan, but they couldn't offer him the kind of life he used to have. They couldn't change the past. Now that he knew what was happening in space right now, he couldn't sit back and ignore it, pretending like it wasn't happening. How could he ignore it, when the proof of it was right there in front of him? His unnatural metal arm flashed in a tiny beam of sunlight breaking through the leaves, and he clenched his hand into a fist. He would never be normal again, and he had them to thank for it. He was a freak. Part metal. A "cyborg."

Ryo hated that word, but that was what they called him up in space. Just because he was part metal. He tried to stop thinking about the war and his hatred for his metal arm, and glanced around him. How had he gotten up into this tree anyway?

Ah yes. The earthquake.

Ryo had been spying on someone, a person he thought to be an enemy of Earth, when the earthquake had suddenly shaken him from his hiding place and thrown him into the tangling vines of the strange tree growing in this forest. The person he had been spying on vanished, assuming the earthquake meant that he was in danger. That left Ryo tangled in the vines of a giant tree, hanging upside down, with the blood rushing to his head. He had been like this for hours. It happened to be around this time that he had gotten a call from Rika. Being as annoyed as he was, he wasn't ready to talk to her, and ended up getting upset. He passed out from yelling. At least now he was awake again.

The silvery disc flashed in the tiny spot of sunlight that was reaching it, piquing his curiosity again. Deciding he didn't have anything better to do, he decided to try something else. Sticking his mechanical hand out toward it, he focused on using his arm's suction device to suck the object into his hand. Thankfully, there were a few advantages to having a mechanical arm, no matter how strange and unnatural it seemed. For instance, it was stronger, and had a lot of cool gadgets. Like the suction device he was using right now. At first all he got was branches, but finally, right before he blacked out again, it flew into his outstretched hand. Sighing with a sense of satisfaction at being at least able to do _something, _he blacked out again.

(--------)

Davis stared at the sight before him, his mouth hanging open. He tried pinching himself to see if he was just dreaming, but the pinching did nothing but hurt. He could still see the gigantic space ship that had just landed in the clearing.

He had been taking a walk, dreaming about asking Kari out for the school dance, when the earthquake hit. That surprised him. Being out in the forest, he had not where to go, and had run around frantically trying to find shelter until it finally stopped. That was how he had come upon the clearing. It was in a construction zone, with a bulldozer sitting silent and still next to a pile of dirt. The place looked like a park that was going to be remodeled, and was now restricted to access from the public. And sitting right in the middle of the empty park was a ship.

Davis didn't need anyone to tell him that it was a spaceship. He _knew _it was. It was too obviously one to be anything else! Carefully, he hid behind a clump of trees, and watched to see if anything came out. After several minutes, with still nothing happening, his curiosity got the better of him. Carefully, he came out of hiding to go check it out. It couldn't hurt just to look now could it?

He crept forward, and then dashed up to the ship. He half expected it to vanish like a mirage, but now that he was one foot away from it, he could reach out and touch it.

It was real.

Awed, he ran his hand along the cool metal. It felt alive under his hand, humming faintly. It was exciting. _I'm touching a real spaceship, _he thought. _I can't believe it! Wait till TK hears about THIS! _He inspected the whole ship, and was impressed by its design. It was shaped like a Blackbird jet, only with larger engines and spectacular landing gear. It was shiny, and had several turrets lines along its wings and hull. It was obviously a war ship, and it was huge. It could probably fit over 100 people inside!

He noticed a kind of symbol painted on one of the engines, so he timidly walked up to inspect it. It was the strangest symbol he'd ever seen, and somehow, just looking at it sent shivers down his back. Something about it was dangerous, something he couldn't place his finger on. The symbol was a black diamond outline with a black spider on the inside. Over the spider were the letters NW in red. NW….. what could that stand for?

"What do you think you're doing?" someone behind Davis asked coldly. Startled, Davis jumped back and whirled around to face whoever was behind him. After staring at the strangely disturbing symbol, he was sure he'd find a threatening enemy.

He found himself staring into the face of a tall man with a hard face. The man was wearing an army uniform that looked important, and he had strange medals and badges all over his suit. He glared down at Davis suspiciously.

"I'm sorry," Davis instantly knew that he had been stupid, but he couldn't back out now. "I just thought it was cool. I've never seen a spaceship before."

The man's face twitched, and he walked past Davis to the ramp leading into the ship. "I don't like uninvited visitors," he commented dryly.

"Well, I'm sorry, I'll leave…' Davis backed away as the man gave to protest. Still, he hesitated to leave without asking why it was here, and where it had come from. "…I'm just wondering one thing though…." He sucked up enough courage to stare the man in the eyes politely and asked, "where did you come from?"

The man scrutinized the 14-year-old boy before him, and glanced up at the sky. "Can't you guess?" he asked sarcastically. "If you'll excuse me, but I'm on a very important deadline, and I can't linger." He walked into the ship, turned around, and gave a slight nod in farewell. "Perhaps we'll meet again sometime."

Davis nodded, and then bowed politely. As quickly as he could, he rushed away from the spaceship into the cover of the trees, and watched as it fired up its engines and vanished into the atmosphere.

"Wow…." Davis whispered, still watching the sky where it used to be. "No one is going to believe this!"

(----------)

Rem literally was pulling her hair out and screaming in frustration. She paced back and forth through her father's mansion, muttering and worrying over her problem. She was a short girl of about 15-years of age, and although she looked normal enough, she was probably the furthest thing from a normal 15-year-old anyone can get. She was dressed in a tight leather suit that was easy to move in, with tall buckled boots and gloves that matched. A belt with guns and ammunition was strapped loosely to her waist, and she wore a stylish helmet over her hair and ears. The overall color of her suit was black and deep purple, her favorite color. She had custom-designed this suit for herself two years ago, and had never wanted to change its style.

Rem was a bounty hunter. At least, she was training to be one. Her father and mother were two of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy, and the fact that they were still alive after so many years was impressive. They had made so many enemies, that just traveling from one world to another could be dangerous for them or their family. They had agreed to train Rem, their youngest child, on the condition that she did everything required of her without exception. Usually, she was excellent at training and keeping herself in order. She had been brought up by the best, and was quickly becoming one of the best. She had never made any mistakes.

That is, never until this day.

Rem dramatically screamed at the top of her lungs, knowing full well that there was no one in the house save her brother, her butler, and herself. She heard someone coming up behind her, and kicked them as hard as she could. She didn't care who she was kicking, because both her brother and her butler were better than her, and could easily avoid the kick, or twist her leg and throw her to the ground. In this situation, the someone behind her grabbed her leg and tossed her to the ground. Frustrated, she glared up into the face of the one who had knocked her over. It turned out to be her brother David, and he only smiled and gave her the thumbs up sign before walking away.

Still screaming, Rem turned over, face to the ground, and screamed until she had no more breath. Then she was quiet.

"What now?" David had come back. He usually waited until Rem calmed down before attempting to talk reasonably to her.

"I lost it," She said in a mortified voice, her face in the ground. She lay still, moaning. "I'm going to die."

"No you're not." His voice was matter-of-fact, and calming. Yet it did nothing for her.

Rem gulped, and turned over to stare up at him helplessly.

"I lost my disc," she whispered, shivering uncontrollably.

David stared at her blankly, pondered for a minute, and then nodded. "Yeah, you're going to die."

"What am I going to do David?" Rem jumped to her feet and grabbed his arm. He was much taller than she was, much more muscular, and more highly trained as a bounty hunter. But he was also loving, and he cared for her very much. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her when she needed help.

"Look for it! Where have you been the last week?" David smiled casually, but the look in his eyes was serious.

"Like, everywhere!"

"Not really, cuz you're not allowed to leave Earth alone till you're 16. You're 15." David grinned at her, and placed his arm around her shoulder.

"Thanks for that useless bit of information. The point is I have no idea!" Rem brought herself to a sitting position on the floor and hugged her knees, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I can't lose it! It's got all of my updates, and security, and information, and money, and everything else that is even remotely important and more! I need it back or Dad will refuse to let me continue on as a bounty hunter!"

"Yes I know." David sighed thoughtfully. "Use your jet pack. Go look in the most recent places you've been. Don't come home till you find it. I'll cover for you. Oh, and call me whenever you need a refill on fuel. I'll help you out. But I have to stay home to cover for you, you know?"

"David, you're the best." Rem smiled weakly at him. He was offering to make excuses for her while she was looking for her, but she didn't think that did any real good. The most important thing a bounty hunter could own was their disk. It was a small information disc that could hold mountains of information, and was specifically secret and different than any other. If someone could get a hold of another bounty hunter's disc, they'd be able to find out everything about them, steal all their money, and more. She hoped nobody dangerous had fund hers. "Lets see…" she said slowly, "The last place on earth I visited…. Um…. Italy and Japan."

"Something tells me to start in Japan." David chuckled.

"Why? I was thinking Italy."

"Everything happens in Japan. Trust me, it has to be there." David looked serious, so Rem nodded.

"Okay, thanks. I guess…. Well, I'll head out then. Call me if there's trouble."

"Okay. Oh wait… just how did you lose it?"

"I'm not sure." Rem blushed. Here was the embarrassing part. "I was fighting, and my arm got whacked against a tree. I blacked out for a second, but then got right back into the fight. I won, but when the mission was done, I couldn't find my disc. I looked everywhere, but it was nowhere to be found." A tear slipped down her check again, and she hastily put up her veil to cover it. She was required to wear a veil by order of the law, but she hated to remember why. _It's a stupid, racist law, _she thought, but in order to be a bounty hunter like her parents, she had to do it.

"And that was in Japan?"

"Um… I don't remember. Japan or Italy."

"Japan."

"How can you be so sure?" Rem frowned.

David laughed a knowing laugh and stared at her full in the eyes. "Oh I know. I just do. You will too someday. You'll see what I mean."

Rolling her eyes, Rem strapped her jet pack on, and zoomed off into the air to search for her disc. She knew as well as David that if she took a ship, she'd be found. But she could cloak herself and her jet pack. Besides, her parents wouldn't be so worried about her this way. David always knew how to make excuses for her.

"Well, Japan, lets get to work. Me against you, looking for my disc. You better show me where it is…." She felt her heart fall as she wondered, "How on earth am I going to know where to look or where to start?"

She tried not to feel depressed, and decided to start where she'd had her fight…. If she could find it….

(---------------)

Izzy stared at the message on his computer, frowning intensely. He had been researching the mysterious earthquake, when the message came. It was serious and confusing. It read:

_The war has begun, and you will soon be in the midst of it. Stay inconspicuous, and you can help us. Do not stand and fight yet, for the time is not right. We at the digital world are suffering from the same war, but we cannot help you this time. You must stop this on your own, because the problem comes from your kind. We can only bring those to our world who will not be noticed if they go missing._

_Prepare for the threat! Do not waste your time by trying to find out how to stop it. For that will come in time. First, find out what the problem is. And for your own safety, do not let yourself get separated from the others. It is much harder to fight alone._

The message stayed long enough for Izzy to read it and begin to worry, and then it was gone. He sat staring at the computer screen long enough to let it sink in, and then decided on a plan of action. He needed to find out what threat was so dangerous to both worlds that a war was beginning.

"Why do I have the sinking feeling that this is not going to be as easy as just saving the digital world?" he groaned. Clicking away on his computer, he began to search for any clues. What exactly was he looking for anyway?

"Please," he whispered to himself. "Give me a clue. Anything!" But asking himself wasn't doing anything. He needed to talk to the rest of the digidestined. Everyone had gotten different messages, and he knew that he needed to talk to them about what they had learned. Dialing Tai's number on his phone, he began to search for the origin of the earthquakes. He could still find nothing.

"This is Tai…" Tai sounded slightly out of it.

"It's Izzy. I have to talk to you. Can you come over?"

"We have to talk. I'm calling a meeting." Tai lowered his voice, sounding worried. "There's a lot we should discuss."

"I agree."

"Meet the rest of us where we used to meet when…."

"Alright."

"And Izzy?" Tai's voice was full of warning. "Make sure you're not followed."

Izzy agreed, and hung up. Perhaps this was much more serious than even he could dream up.

(-----------)

**Well? What do you think? Please review and tell me. Yeah, I know it's Sci-fi, but sometimes you just have to write sci-fi. Sometimes you can't help it. At least I can't. I'm excited about this story because I know where it's going. Hee hee! I really hope you like it. So once again, PLEASE tell me how I'm doing. So far I haven't gotten any complaints, so I assume I'm not offending anyone or messing up the characters. Just let me know what your opinions are. I might change some stuff if you have a serious objection to it.**

**And is my rating okay? I have it on T because of the war thing…. And Kouji getting shot…. Oh nevermind. I'm blabbing. Enough already.**

**Aim: How come you didn't write about me this time?**

**Me: Cuz I wrote about you last time.**

**Aim: And why does everyone hate me? You make me look like a monster!**

**Me: You are.**

**Aim: (indignant) No I'm not. I'm reasonable. I'm just a bad guy. It's not my fault you made me that way.**

**Kouji: Yeah well, you shot me!**

**Aim: (shrugs) So?**

**Rika: That means we hate you.**

**Aim: Great, so everybody hates me. Oh well. I don't need to be liked by my enemies.**

**Me: Okay well, good-bye till next time! (Better cut this off before they start fighting. They're not best of friends…)**

**rika195 (the dork)**


	4. Chapter 4

**This time I'll just jump right into it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own digimon. But I do own Rem and Aim. Oh, and I own the title Stardashcircle. It's mine. So don't steal it. And I own NW too, but you guys don't know what that is yet. But you will! Hee hee hee! You will…**

**So let's go back in time a bit….before jumping back to the present.**

**(----)**

_On the other side of the glass stood a boy. He couldn't be older than 11. His amber eyes were bright and defiant, and his unruly black hair was in need of a trim. Unlike most boys his age, he stood with his back straight and his shoulders broad, as one who knew how to fight and wouldn't hesitate to do it given the chance. He glared at the two men standing on the other side of the glass hatefully._

"_Where did you pick him up?" One of the men asked. One could tell by his credentials that he was Commander Chief._

"_We found him on one of the raids. On the Planet Of Islands, sir." The second man answered proudly. "His name is Andrew Albrite, one of Stardashcircle's twin sons."_

"_Really?" the Commander Chief grinned slightly. "A lucky catch."_

"_He's been trained to fight, by his father probably, and of all the captives, I have seen no comparison in abilities. I might even go so far as to say he has the best aim I have ever seen. He can shoot better than any of our own Assassins. Strange trait to find in a kid so young."_

"_Good. He'll make a fine addition to our "cause." Follow the procedures for new "recruits." Make sure he doesn't remember anything."_

"_Of course, sir." The second man grinned. "They never do."_

_(------)_

Aim stared at the controls of his spaceship blankly, his amber eyes only half focused on the controls in front of him. His black hair was in need of a trim again, and it kept getting in his face. He liked it that way though, because it reminded him of something he couldn't remember. Too bad his superiors always wanted it cut short. He brushed it out of his face and glanced back at his prisoners, remembering what had happened. The look in Kouji Minamoto's eyes when he captured him was strangely haunting. It was as if he'd met his captive somewhere before.

"I couldn't have," he thought to himself, dismissing the uneasy feeling. "I've never been to Earth before."

Still, something about Kouji brought a distant memory, a feeling of dejavu that he could not dismiss. It annoyed him that it insisted on remaining a mystery.

Kouji was in one of the prison cells now. The girl, Rika, was in another. It had been no easy task to get either of them in their cells, let alone the ship itself. He had had to threaten to shoot Kouji again to make Rika get in. He chuckled, thinking how she wasn't afraid of getting shot herself, but was anxious not to get Kouji shot again on her behalf.

"Well, I might as well get off this planet," he mumbled, starting up his craft and preparing to enter the atmosphere.

(------)

Shinya glared at his brother accusingly. "What is it you aren't telling me, and why wont you tell me?" he asked. "Where are you leading me anyway?"

Takuya continued running, dragging his brother with him. "Just trust me Shinya," he said hastily.

"Trust you? Sure, sometimes… but in this situation, it's going too far!" Shinya wasn't as strong as his brother, so he couldn't break his grip. Shinya had no idea how strong Takuya really was. His grip was like iron. "First an earthquake, then a help message from someone I don't know, and now you're dragging me downtown?"

"Shinya, would you believe me if I told you that somewhere, someone needs _your _help?"

"Hmm…. I dunno. I only got a HELP MESSAGE!" Shinya rolled his eyes. "This is stupid."

Takuya stopped in front of a bus stop, and turned to Shinya seriously. "There is something going on, and you have to help."

"Help… do what?" Shinya felt a strange sensation growing on him. It was a mix of anticipation, dread, and excitement. He wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

"I'm not sure how to explain. Well, I guess I could, but I don't know if I should." Takuya frowned slightly. "I'll just say that another world is being threatened right now, and it is asking _you _for help." He turned and stared his brother in the eyes. "Can I ask you a question?"

Shinya frowned too. Another world needed _his _help? What could he do to help? "I guess," he answered. What kind of question exactly was Takuya going to ask?

"Shinya, would you be willing to fight for something, even if you don't understand everything?"

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Shinya asked hesitantly. "That's pretty vague."

A bus pulled up, and Takuya led Shinya onto it.

"Would you fight for what you consider important?"

"Yes, I guess so. Fight how?"

"Would you put someone else's survival above your own?"

"It depends on who they are, I guess…"

"Have you ever dreamt of being a hero?"

"…" Shinya stared at his brother cautiously. Of course he had. Who hadn't? He often dreamed of himself as a mighty warrior fighting crime and badguys or something. But that was all a game, right?

"Shinya, there are real dangers, and real situations that can require you to make choices that will ultimately change everything." Takuya's face was serious. "Sometimes they are big dangers, and sometimes they seem trivial until it's too late. Like smoking or drinking or something. It doesn't matter what danger or what choice lies ahead of you, you still have to act."

"What are you getting at?"

"You're stuck in a situation where there is a real danger, and a real choice that once made, you can't change your mind."

"What danger? What choice? Is this about the help message? You're starting to freak me out!"

The bus stopped, and Takuya pulled Shinya through the station to an elevator. Shinya felt uneasy just standing in front of it.

Takuya sighed. "If you go into that elevator, you'll have to fight to protect a world other than ours. It's a world that you'll grow to love, a world that can make you a warrior…a hero. I know from experience that if you go, your life will be changed forever, and you could quite possibly lose your life if you're not careful."

"So why would I want to go?"

"Because if you don't, the part you could have played will never happen. Something you could have stopped just might end up destroying that world, and make its way to ours. Then, you'd have no way of fighting back. It doesn't matter if you go or not, you'll still end up facing the same danger. The choice is whether you stay back and hope the threat goes away, or go face it and stop it before it gets a chance of getting too big to fight."

Shinya stared at the elevator silently, brooding. So… it seemed that the changes in Takuya three years ago had come from a situation like this. He turned and stared at his older brother, and blinked in surprise.

Takuya was staring at the elevator door wistfully, clearly longing to jump into it and travel back to the world that had changed him. _Changed him into a warrior….a hero…_

"I think…." Shinya stepped forward. "I think I should go. Why I am the one to go I don't know… but…" he turned to stare at Takuya. "Will I be fighting alone?"

Takuya grinned slightly. "I don't know, but I doubt it."

Shinya nodded, and pushed the down button. The doors to the elevator slide gracefully open, revealing the yawning cavity of the mechanical lifter before him. "I could die in this other world?"

"Maybe."

"Did you almost die when you went?"

A wide grin spread across Takuya's face. "Yep," he replied.

"Was it hard?"

"You bet."

"But you won?"

"_We _won. It wasn't just me. I probably did more harm than good."

Shinya grinned at his brother, so much more mature and responsible than he was. "I doubt it," he said smiling. And then, he stepped into the elevator. Slowly, the doors closed, and the elevator went down…..and down…..and down…..and down……..

"How far does it go?" Shinya asked out loud, gripping the handrail and staring out the tiny window as the elevator practically free-fell through the floor underground into eternity. "I hope Takuya wasn't wrong about this… It better be worth it to save this other world!"

(------)

Kouichi stared up at the animal that had knocked him to the ground in surprise. It was Kouji's dog, Zaiev. "Hey boy," he mumbled, rubbing his bruised head. "What did you do that for?" He pushed the dog aside and sat up. It was strange for the dog to do that. Sure, it could be defined as a hyper-active guard dog that usually had too much energy, but it never hurt Kouichi or Kouji. Well, it did run away sometimes, dragging whoever had the leash with him, but other than that he was a well-behaved dog when it came to the twins.

Zaiev was frantically barking and growling, and the hair was standing up on its back. It barked at Kouichi insistently, and then began to tug his shirt with his mouth.

"Zaiev, what's wrong? What are you doing?" Kouichi pushed the dog away, but it would not stop. "Something is wrong, isn't there?" The dog continued its frantic action. "Alright already! Lead the way!" Kouichi shooed the dog and followed it. Much to his surprise, the dog seemed to understand him, and began leading him to Kouji's house.

It suddenly occurred to him that Kouji could be in danger.

"Kouji's in trouble, isn't he?" Kouichi asked the dog. He began running faster, and the dog kept pace. Before long he reached his brother's house.

Zaiev barked urgently, and ran to the middle of the road. He began whimpering, and sniffing the ground.

Kouichi frowned and walked forward. What exactly was Zaiev trying to tell him? He stared down at the street, not sure what to expect. What he found worried him.

It was a bullet casing. Or shell. He wasn't sure what it was called, or how exactly bullets or guns worked, but he knew that it was one of those things. Zaiev was growling at his elbow, sniffing the shell every second or so before growling again.

"Zaiev, are you telling me….that Kouji…." He gulped. "….Kouji got shot?"

He hardly expected the dog to answer, but he wouldn't have needed one anyway. "I don't like this," he mumbled. He was afraid. And angry. Who would have shot his brother? And why? Angrily, he rushed off to the police station. He had to get help! He had to save Kouji!

A sharp tug on his shirt halted his progress and caused him to stumble over. Zaiev was tugging his shirt. "What?" he asked. He wondered what the dog would show him now. "Can you lead me to Kouji?" he asked. The dog dashed off, barking persistently at Kouichi to follow. Throwing aside his common sense of going to the police, Kouichi followed the dog. If it could show him the bullet shell, it just might show him where Kouji was.

Kouichi followed the dog through the streets to a demolition site. Zaiev led him under the fence into the building that was about to be demolished. Kouichi knew he wasn't allowed in this area, and hoped he wouldn't get caught… but he had to find out if Kouji was alright!

Suddenly, something ramming against his legs knocked him to the ground. He glared at Kouji's dog in annoyance. "What did you do that for?" he asked. Something whooshing right over him, inches over his head cut him off. He stared in the sky in shock as a flying metallic jet-like structure zoomed into the sky. If he had been standing, it would have cut him in half. He pulled Zaiev up to him and pet him gently, the reality of his close-call hitting him like a sledgehammer.

"Good boy…" he murmured. "Good boy…."

Zaiev whimpered pitifully, staring up at the spot in the sky as it slowly disappeared from view. It was then the possibility dawned on Kouichi. Did that jet just take Kouji away?

Kouichi gripped Zaiev's collar angrily. "No one shoots or kidnapps my brother without suffering the consequences!" he growled. "No one!"

(------)

Tai stared solemnly at the 14 people around him. All of them looked like they had something on their mind, but not all of them looked upset. Cody looked bored, and Davis looked like he was bursting with excitement, and trying hard to keep his mouth shut while he waited for Tai to speak first.

"We have a problem," Tai stated urgently. "And it has everything to do with the world being in critical danger once again."

"This is about the message I received, right?" Izzy asked. He was shaking slightly.

"Yes. Did anyone else receive a message of any kind from the Digital world?"

Most of them nodded. Only Davis looked confused.

"Davis? Did you receive a message?"

"No. I mean, maybe…. But I was preoccupied. After the earthquake I saw…I saw…oh man. You guys will never believe me." He shook his head in utter amazement. "You tell me what the message said, and I'll tell you what I saw."

Tk rolled his eyes. "You never notice when something important is going on."

"Oh brother. I bet you didn't see what I saw."

"Guys, quite arguing!" Tai frowned in annoyance. "Davis, the messages we received may have all said things differently, but basically this is what we have learned. The digital world is under attack, and in fact is nearly destroyed. But the problem is not evil digimon, it's evil humans."

"Huh?" Davis frowned. "Wait…you mean…"

"Yes. Humans like us have found the digital world, and are using its data for their own purposes. We also know that they are after us too, because we can stop them. The message said that a battle is coming, and that it may already be too late to stop disaster."

"That's not all," Izzy cut in firmly. "We know that a war is starting between us and other humans, but we have to remain inconspicuous. We can't stand and fight. But above all that, we can't separate. We have to stay together or they'll get us one by one."

"At least everyone's here, so we know nothing's happened yet." Joe looked slightly relieved. "And at least we don't have to fight yet. Especially since we can't have the help of the digimon this time."

"What?" Davis looked horrified. "No Veemon?"  
Tai shook his head.

Davis stared thoughtfully at the ground, silent for quite some time before TK nudged him. He looked up and tried to grin. "Suddenly I'm not so excited about what I saw." He said this with a mournful look in his eyes. "Because it makes things much, much worse."

"What did you see exactly?" Matt frowned suspiciously. His eyes were narrowed, and he looked extremely worried about what Davis might say. "How could it make things worse? Is it something like the Government that is against us?"

"No…well…I don't know. But after the earthquake, I was wandering in the woods when I stumbled upon something I thought was just me daydreaming. But I went up and touched it, so it was real."

"What was it?" Izzy's eyes widened in anticipation.

"It was a spaceship."

There was a drawn out silence, and then an explosion of laughter.

"Davis, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say!" Matt laughed loudly, and shook his head. "What do you think you're trying to pull?"

"No, I'm serious! I met somebody too, who told me to leave, and then drove the ship away! I can show you the spot where the ship was!" Davis glared at his laughing companions. "I'm telling the truth!"

Tai tried to suppress his laughter and look serious, but it was pretty hard to do. "Listen Davis, we all know that this situation is serious, and that we have to be careful, but I can assure you that what you saw was not a spaceship, but probably a government issue jet. That is…if you saw anything at all."

"I DID! IT WAS A SPACESHIP!" Davis' face flushed with anger and indignation.

"You aren't always very truthful about this sort of thing Davis," Kari comforted. "You can't blame us for not believing you."

"You guys, you're so mean! I'm telling you the truth!"

Tai shook his head, dismissing the laughter to get back to more serious things. "Alright guys, now that we all know what's going on, and that we know we have to stay together and not fight just yet, let's figure out a home base where we can be safe and talk without fear of being over heard."

Everyone nodded except Davis, who was glowering with what he felt was righteous anger.

"The only question now is…where on earth can we find a secure base?" Matt looked skeptical. "It's not like we have access to government issue technology or hideouts, although those would come in handy."

Izzy's eyes twinkled slightly, and a slow grin spread over his face. "Or do we?"

The rest of the gang stared at him suspiciously, and Davis stopped pouting to look at him with interest.

"Izzy? What are you talking about?" Tai glared at him.

"Let's just say…well…my computer skills are a little more than average…" Izzy glanced down nervously. "And I kinda stirred some interest in the government…"

"Meaning?" Matt looked like he was catching on.

"Meaning we have access to a lot of stuff…including my work."

"You have a job?" Tai gave Izzy a look of incredibility.

"I have for a long time, actually."

"What do you do?" Ken looked slightly jealous.

"I do programming and stuff…creating security systems and fixing bugs…simple stuff."

"Simple?" Tai shook his head. Anything besides email on the computer was much more complicated than he could even dream of figuring out.

"So, we have access to security systems and that kind of thing?" Mimi grinned excitedly.

"Yep. In fact, we have access to my…" Izzy lowered his voice. "Secret lab."

Ken's jealous expression deepened. "No fair," he whispered. Only Yolei actually heard what he said.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Tai stepped forward determinedly. "Izzy, lead the way."

(------)

Rem tossed her empty jet pack on the ground, spewing her anger in a torrent of: "I can't believe the stupid jet pack ran out of gas! It does this to me ALL THE TIME!"

She threw herself dramatically onto a rock and pouted for several minutes, trying to decide what to do. She had been searching Japan for hours, trying to remember where she had been or how her disc could have escaped without her knowledge.

"I need that disc," she moaned. "I'm so going to suffer the consequences if I don't find it!" She held her head in her hands and moaned for several more minutes, trying to relax. Eventually, she calmed down enough to listen to her surroundings. It would be incredibly foolish to let herself get caught in the open wearing her bounty hunter outfit, when people weren't really supposed to know that people like her existed.

That was when she heard the sound above her.

Startled, she dove into some shrubbery and stared at the viney tree above her. Something dangled from the branches much higher up, and she couldn't see what it was. But it wasn't natural. Curious, she stepped out of hiding to take a closer look.

Hanging upside down above her was a person. He looked…

"Dead?" Rem grimaced. "What a horrible way to die!"

The hanging person stirred slightly, and stared down at her with a dizzy expression. "I'm not dead……yet."

Rem nearly jumped out of her skin, but she soon overcame her scare. "Well then, what are you doing up there? It's foolish to climb trees if you can't get down again."

The person gave her a wry grin and tried to pull himself right side up in vain. "I wasn't climbing. I got thrown up here, you might say."

"Well, that was kind of stupid too."

"You're not much help."

"I guess not. Got a lot on my mind right now."

"Yes, I heard."

Rem blushed slightly. "Yeah well…" she couldn't think of anything else to say, so she clamped her mouth shut. How embarrassing that this person was listening to her rant about her jet pack and her…her disc! He heard about it! What would that mean? Was she in any danger now?"

"Listen, I'll make you a deal." The dangling person sounded close to unconsciousness, if not desperate. "You help me down, and I'll help you."

"I don't know who you are, or if I can trust you. There might be a reason you got thrown up there. You could be an enemy." Rem glared at him defiantly.

"I'M ABOUT TO DIE FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE! JUST HELP ME OUT!" The young man closed his eyes and stayed silent for several minutes. Finally he stirred. "Please…" he whispered. "Help me."

Rem bit her lip and frowned. Technically, her training told her that she wasn't supposed to trust ANYONE outside her household, as almost everyone in the galaxy was out to get her and her family. Maybe not, but it felt like that sometimes. And her training did say that she wasn't supposed to trust or associate with anyone. But she couldn't just leave him to die could she?

Throwing aside caution, and the stupid bounty hunting training rules, she climbed the tree and stood on a branch above him. "Well come on," she said frowning. She reached down her hand and offered it to him. "I'll pull you up."

He looked up at her, his face purple with all the blood rushing to his head. Gathering what was obviously the rest of his strength, he swung upward, reaching out his right hand toward hers. Half-way there, his strength left, and he collapsed back again. Rem anticipated this, and was prepared to catch him. With amazing reflexes, she swooped down and caught his hand with hers. His fingers clasped tightly at hers, and she pulled him up toward her.

"Hold on," she encouraged him quietly, pulling out her knife from her boot and cutting the vines that clung to him. When she had him free, she slung him over her shoulder and climbed her way down. She was grateful to be rid of his weight when she reached the bottom, and dropped him to the ground unceremoniously.

"Man," she huffed, sitting down a little ways away. "you're more trouble than you're worth."

The figure she just rescued remained unconscious, but obviously relieved to be out of the tree. His face was still red, but he looked much better than he had before. Rem stared at him suspiciously, wondering who he could be. How on earth did he get stuck hanging in the tree?

"I wonder what his name is," she thought aloud. "He'd better help me out for all the trouble I went to, saving him." She knew that climbing the tree and helping him had been fairly easy, and no trouble for her. She was agile, and she was strong. But she was much too wary for her own good if helping some poor soul down from a tree caused her this much worry. "I'm paranoid," she complained, "and it's ridiculous. He said he would help me, so I'll just wait for him to recover, and then I'll ask him for his help. He's got to know Japan better than me. He looks Japanese anyway."

That was when she noticed his silver forearm.

Jumping to her feet, her glared at him accusingly. "A cyborg!" she exclaimed. "I just saved a cyborg! How could I have been so stupid? Some help he's going to be to me when he wakes up!" she glared at him, her thoughts accusing him of several wrongs he'd never committed…and of things other cyborgs she'd met in her life had been prone to do.

The young cyborg stirred from his sleep, and sat up. He rubbed his head painfully, and stared at her with glazed eyes.

"Thank you," he mumbled. "I thought…I thought I was going to die." Pulling himself to his feet, he straightened his clothing and bowed to her in the traditional Japanese way. His eyes did not fail to notice that her gaze was fixed on his arm, while a look of mistrust lingered across her face.

He nodded, and a look of anger seemed to flicker in his eyes. "I see," he mumbled. "I hate it too."

Rem watched him stuff his hand in his pocket and pull his sleeve down as far as it could go to hide the unnatural arm at his side. Something about the way he said "I see" informed her that he hated his arm as much as she hated every other cyborg she had ever met.

"I said I would help you if you helped me, and I meant it." He stared at her in the eyes seriously. "What are you looking for?"

Rem bit her tongue, and wondered what to say. She could tell him she just needed gas, or she could tell him she was looking for her Bounty Hunter Disc. But if he happened to be a bounty hunter…then he would know how to use it to gain all the information about her that he wanted and use it against her. And that would not be the greatest idea. Not only would she have lost her disc, but she would lose the top secret information she was supposed to protect. That would make her failure complete.

"I'm looking for some gas, but I don't know where the nearest gas station is." She knew it was only partly true, but it would do.

"And some sort of a disc?"

"I never said that."

"Hmm. I must have misheard. Well, I found a small disc, but since it's not yours, it must belong to somebody else."

Rem's eyes widened in fear. "Give it here," she demanded. "Now!"

The cyborg grinned slightly, and cocked his head. "So it is yours?"

Rem nodded fiercely. "Give it to me now!"

He walked forward slowly, seeming to enjoy the torment he was causing her, and his grin widened. "I'm Ryo," he stated simply. "What's your name?"

Rem glared at him. He was just like any other cyborg. Cocky, money-loving, twisted, and probably full of violence too. They were all the same.

"What's your name?" he repeated.

"Why do you care?" she blurted. "Just give it here!"

"If it is your disc, then your name will prove it, wont it?"

Rem clenched her hand in a fist, and stared at him hatefully. "It's Rem. Now give it here."

Ryo shrugged, pulled his hand out of his pocket, and stared at something in his hand. It was obviously her disc. "Well Rem," he said, stepping forward and dropping the disc in her hand, "it looks like yours."

He turned and walked away, leaving her standing there in bewilderment.

"Oh, and the nearest gas station is probably not very far away in that direction." He pointed to the East. "I saw the city from the tree a little while ago."

Rem quickly got over her shock. "Hey, wait!" She called. "You can't just leave!"

Ryo chuckled audibly. "Why not? You helped me, I helped you. End of story."

Rem glared at him. "You cyborg's are all the same. Selfish!"

He stopped walking, and turned around to glare at her with fury in his eyes. "Don't you call me that!" he shouted. "Don't ever call me that! I hate it, you hear? Just leave me alone. I have to go."

Rem started, and watched him go. He was one strange person. First calm and polite, then rude and cold. But he had given her back her disc…

"I wonder who he is…" she stared at her disc absent mindedly. He was a very interesting person. Kind of intriguing in a way.

She snatched up her jetpack and sauntered after him. He was, after all, heading East.

(------)

**Well, that's all I can do for now. Sorry if it's not that great. I've had a lot on my mind these past few weeks. I don't even know if I edited everything. If the story is aweful, or has any mistakes or unclear sentences, please tell me. I'm too tired to fix them right now.**

**Thank you all for your reviews. You guys are awesome. Yeah, I know it's sci-fi, but you'll live. (haha)**

**And now, good night.**


	5. Chapter 5

It's finally time to get this started. I have put it off for too long. I guess the other stories I have kept getting in the way. I get too excited about just one story, and then I forget about the others. Sheesh. I seriously need to just set a schedule for myself that fits with my school schedule, and do all of my stories.

Please read and review! I love flames and criticism too. Because they help me improve my writing. So thank you once again, and enjoy!

(------)

Suzie stared at her older brother with an expression of concern. He looked a little bit green and pale, as if worried sick. She took his hand and smiled encouragingly at him. "Don't _worry _about me Henry! I'll be fine! Worry about finding out who the enemy is. And be careful! If that earthquake was an attack against us, then the enemy is probably more powerful than we can handle."

"Don't say that," Henry said quietly. "I don't think something like that would happen."

Suzie didn't go further, but she could think of a million ways that the enemy would be too powerful for them to handle. For one, if the enemy was the government….how on earth would they ever fight against them?

"Suzie, the earthquake was probably not an attack. It was probably a sign."

"Meaning what?"

"What if they were just using the earthquake to find out who their enemy is? It seems logical, especially since the earthquake didn't hurt us or our surroundings. It was pretty short."

"That would mean Takato and the rest experienced one too."

"True." Henry nodded. "I'll call him. But let's figure out how we're supposed to get you to the digital world. I don't really know how…"

Suzie thought for a minute, and then brightened up. "Hey, remember when the Diva's were first coming in?"

Henry raised an eyebrow. "How do _you _remember?"

Suzie frowned at him defensively. "I remember a lot. I was 8, you know. Not 4! Anyway, when the Diva's were coming in…how did they get here?"

"Well…"

Suzie didn't give Henry a chance to finish. "Didn't they come through the subway?"

"Well no…not exactly but…"

"We should go check the subway!"

Henry rolled his eyes. "Why?"

Suzie shrugged. "Because it seems like a good idea to me. I don't know why. I just think that's where I should go."

Henry sighed. "Well, alright. Let's go."

The two set off toward the subway where the Snake Diva had entered.

(------)

Kouji gripped his leg, trying not to cry. His leg hurt so bad! He had seen movies where the heroes had gotten shot and kept going even through the pain, but he had never thought it would be this painful. How could real people who get shot keep going like it doesn't hurt? It was all a lie to make the actors look cool.

In other words, his leg hurt so bad, he didn't feel like fighting. So he glared hatefully at his captor. Rika, the girl next to him, looked pale and faint, but she tried to be encouraging. She would ask him how he felt, and try to make him more comfortable. But he could tell she was feeling faint from seeing him bleed so much.

Their captor brought the spaceship to a halt, and turned back to face Kouji and Rika. Kouji nearly gagged when he saw that he couldn't be older than 16. He looked like he was Kouji's age! If that wasn't revolting, then nothing was.

"What makes someone as young as you want to kidnap and shoot people like a criminal?" Kouji hissed at him.

Their captor sneered at him. "It's a war, loser. I just do my job."

"Your job huh? Aren't you a little young to be in the army?"

"Maybe in your world I'd be considered that." He walked over to Kouji and Rika and pointed a gun at them. "Now come on. We're here."

"Where's 'here'?" Rika asked, her voice shaky with fright but full of anger.

"It's the NW Honor Institute."

Kouji frowned, confused. "The what?"

"You'll see. Now listen up. I know you hate me for shooting you, but I had no choice."

"Oh really? Sure you did!"

"I had to follow two orders in one."

"And I'm supposed to believe that?"

Their captor didn't seem to care what Kouji thought, and dragged him along with him, using his gun to make Rika follow as well. "You don't have to. One party wanted me to shoot you, the other wanted me to save you and bring you here. So…" Their captor shrugged unemotionally. "I did both. You're shot, and you're here. They'll fix you up, and I'll get a punishment or something, but the other party will give me a bonus. So it works out. You should be thanking me. If I hadn't done it, the other party would have sent someone else to kill you."

Kouji wanted to sneer at him. "What _other party? _And what makes you think I'd want to thank you for kidnapping me? Who wants me dead? Why? And who wants me here?"

"You ask too many questions."

"And you don't give enough answers." Rika chipped in. She glanced at Kouji, a worried and confused look on her face.

"That's not my job."

"Then whose is it?"

"His." Their captor deposited Kouji and Rika in front of someone and stepped back. He kept his guns pointed at the two of them to make sure they didn't try anything. Kouji glared at him, then turned to look at the new person in the scene. It was a tall man, who looked to be in about his late 40's, with dark hair and tired eyes. He wore an army uniform like one Kouji had never seen before, and stared at them with a blank face.

"Who are these two, Aim?" The man asked. Kouji read his credentials, and wondered what rank he was. He had to be pretty high…

"Sir, they are Kouji Minamoto and…" Aim glanced at the girl for a minute, "…and Rika Makino, sir."

"I see. And why is Mr. Minamoto's leg bleeding?"

"I shot him sir."

Kouji frowned, wondering what was going on. Rika looked just as confused, especially since she hadn't told Aim her full name.

The army person seemed to be holding in anger at the mistreatment of his captives. "He was not supposed to be hurt."

"I know, sir." Aim seemed like he was reciting a memorized script, like he had his answers planning a long time ago for this very occasion.

"Get out of here you miserable mercenary! I'm through with you." The man nearly shouted at Aim to leave, and then turned back to Kouji. "I am terribly sorry about all of this. Especially for you, my dear," he said to Rika. "This was not supposed to happen."

"Then what was?" Kouji asked accusingly. "Why was I kidnapped?"

"To save your life. This young lady on the other hand, did not need to be taken. I'll figure this out, don't you worry. For now, let me get you two some rooms. And let's take a look at that leg." He turned to someone next to him, and gave some orders. Then he turned back. "I am General McDowen."

"And I'm annoyed." Kouji grumbled. He almost didn't want to be taken to get his leg fixed, but it hurt so bad. However, he didn't want to get separated from Rika. He didn't really know her, but he wanted to protect her. His message on his D-tector told him to.

And anyway, it didn't matter what General McDowen said. These people were the enemy, and Kouji knew it. He could feel it in his gut, like a bad stomach ache, and it was making him nervous. If only he knew what to do!

"I guess I'll just have to wait and spy on them," he thought. "If they are the enemy—and I'm pretty sure they are—then I want as much insider information I can get."

So he let himself be treated, even though he was separated from Rika. He figured she could handle herself for now…

(------)

Shinya was screaming at the top of his lungs, clinging to the walls of the elevator as it plummeted straight down through the ground into the earth below. He was practically floating it was free-falling so fast! What would happen when it reached the bottom? He wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

And then it hit the ground. The doors slid open in a blink of an eye, and he tumbled out of the elevator, down some steps, and landed on his face on a metal platform.

"Ow!" he screamed. "Stupid elevator! Stupid Takuya! How dare he do that to me!" he rubbed his face and sat up, cracking his neck and looking around. He was in a….subway? A strange subway.

It was a circular chamber, with several train tracks leading into several holes in the walls. There was a strange-looking train, sitting on one of the tracks, obviously ready to go. It seemed to be waiting for Shinya to get on.

"OW!" A girl complained, as the elevator once again dropped to the ground and deposited a young girl about Shinya's age onto the ground. She tumbled out of the elevator and rolled right into him, complaining weakly that her knee hurt.

Shinya, who had always been a little freaked of girls, (he still believes in cooties) Jumped back as quickly as he could. "Whoa!" he said accusingly. "Get off me!"

The girl pulled herself to her knees and stared at him with a self-righteous, angry face. "What do you mean 'get off me?' Do you think I _tried _to land on you? If you want someone to shout at, take it out on the elevator!"

Shinya blinked, and then shrugged. "Yeah, you're right, I guess. It's the elevator's fault." He turned to look at the train, waiting for them. "Do you think we're supposed to get on?"

"I don't know. Hey, can you help me up? My leg hurts…it's bruised."

Shinya recoiled, a little worried about touching a girl. However, his mother's ranting and raving about him growing up into a gentleman was nagging at the back of his mind, so he pushed aside his uneasiness for just a minute to reach out a hand to her. She took it, and he quickly pulled her to her feet. Then he recoiled again, and wiped his hand on his pants.

"Thank you, I _guess. _I'm Kariko." She said, brushing her clothes straight. She wore a plaid mini skirt and black knee-high boots, with a blue tight-fit halter top for a shirt. Her hair was in two braids, and she wore a trucker hat that had Takuya's favorite clothing brand on it. (The symbol on Takuya's yellow shirt and brown hat in the show). Everything she wore looked pretty cute together, but Shinya would never on his life admit he thought that.

"I'm Shinya."

At that moment, the train gave a loud whistle, starling both Shinya and Kariko so much that both of them screamed. When Shinya calmed down enough to get a hold of himself, he found that someone else had gotten a hold of him too.

Kariko was hugging him tightly, her eyes wide with fear. "Is…someone…on there?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Ah! Get off me!" he screamed for the second time, wrenching her hands off him and stepping many paces away from her. "What you do that for?"

Kariko frowned at him, and huffed. "I was scared. Gosh!"

Shinya rolled his eyes, and turned his attention back to the train. "So…I guess we are supposed to get on it."

"Man, I wish my brother could have come with me!" Kariko complained, before timidly walking towards the train.

Shinya was impressed by her bravery. He was in no way ready to get on that train. "Yeah, me too."

"Who's your brother?"

"Takuya."

"I don't know him."

Shinya rolled his eyes, and also starting to walk slowly toward the train. "Do you have to?"

"I just thought that only digidestined knew about this."

Shinya frowned. He'd heard Takuya use that word before… "What does that word mean? Takuya's used it before, when talking to Kouji."

"Well, it's what the people who save the digital world are called. Kenta, my brother, is one of them. And he said that I get to be one too. He said someone told him, and sent me here."

"Did you get a message?"

"Yeah, I did too, but I thought it was a joke until Kenta started panicking and rushing me over here. He said we'd be at the digital world for a long time."

"So that's where we're going." Shinya and Kariko were at the door of the train now, looking in. They stayed there for a bit, hesitant.

"Yeah. So I packed a bag of stuff I thought would be useful. Kenta told me a lot about his adventure, and stuff like matches and a rope can come in handy. And changes of clothes."

Shinya growled in annoyance. "Man! I wish Takuya told ME to pack a bag…I'll be in the same clothes for days on end!"

Kariko giggled. "Well, maybe someone else will have some clothes for you. According to Takato, there's never less than three digidestined in a group. I don't know where he heard that though."

"I don't know who Takato or who Kenta are."

"And I don't know Takuya. I guess we can talk about it later." She reached down, grabbed Shinya's hand, and pulled him onto the train.

(-------)

Kazu rushed as fast as he could through Kenta's front door, without knocking, and crashed right into his best friend. They toppled to the ground and said "ow" a few times, before jumping to their feet and grabbing each other. They both opened their mouths, and as these two best friends often do, blurted the very same things at exactly the same time.

"DID YOU FEEL THAT EARTHQUAKE? I KNOW! DID TAKATO CALL YOU TOO? WHAT DO WE DO NOW?"

They paused to take a breath, glanced at each other, and burst out laughing. Kazu took the initiative to speak first.

"In answer to our questions, I guess it is yes, and I don't know."

Kenta grinned. "Yep!"

Kazu and Kenta hopped onto the living room couch and sighed, both thinking for a minute. Kenta decided to speak next.

"Kazu, my sister got a message saying she needed to go to the digital world, and I got a message saying I had to send her there through some subway elevator. Weird huh?"

Kazu raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? I got a message, but it said I had to be really careful, and stay with the rest of the group at all times. Tell me THAT isn't weird!"

"It is." Kenta frowned. "What do you think is going on? Takato said a war is going on, but he didn't know what else."

"He told ME that we're in danger, and that we have to try to remain hidden until we can figure out who the enemy is."

"Well, he must have called you after me, or something."

"Maybe."

The two sat there for a minute, thinking again, and then Kazu stood up. "I think we should stay with the group. Everyone should meet and Takato's house or something, and then we should…um…"

"Takato's a better leader than you are, Kaz." Kenta teased.

"Well, that's why we should go to his house."

"I agree." Kenta and Kazu both dashed out the door, looked both ways before crossing the street, and hurried off toward Takato's house.

(------)

A tall man stared silently stared through his window at the planet below, an amused grin on his face. He was aware of his Lieutenant and friend Johnson coming up to stand next to him.

"Just look at it," he commented to the Lieutenant. "It's a beautiful planet, isn't it? And in such a strategic position too. There's more resources on that planet alone than on any other we've conquered."

The Lieutenant just nodded. He was generally a quiet man who didn't say anything unless he had to. He preferred to listen and think instead.

"Is everything ready for the attack?"

Johnson had to answer this one. "Yes, General. Everything is ready. However, the ones we worried about, the ones who could fight back…"

"Don't worry," the General grinned. "We've already got two. All we have to do is convince them they're being _rescued _from the enemy, and keep them here where we can watch them and use them to our advantage. Then…" he chuckled. "…then the planet will be completely defenseless."

Johnson nodded. He preferred to just nod and let General McDowen do the talking.

"The earthquake was supposed to locate them all. Did it work?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now send Aim out to retrieve them all. And tell him not to shoot them, _please? _That was not supposed to happen. Kouji already hates us."

"I will inform him sir."

"Good." McDowen then ignored his Lieutenant, and went back to staring at the Planet Earth. "Yes," he said smiling, "it is a beautiful victory we will have. An excellent addition to the Empire."

Lt. Johnson left the room, leaving McDowen to think about whatever he wanted. And that's when the General remembered the digital project. He hurried from the window to his desk, and clicked on the intercom.

"How is the digital experiment coming?" he demanded.

"Sir, the weapon is almost complete. We just need a little bit more data."

"Then get it! There's a whole digital world right out there for you to scan!"

The person on the other end hesitated before answering. "Well…"

McDowen scowled. "Well what? That is not an acceptable answer!"

"There seems to be a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"Well…."

(------)

…And I'll continue later. My back hurts. So, please enjoy, and review. Reviews are cool. Yes they are.

Yes, I made Kenta have a sister. You can flame me if you want, but don't forget that this is fanfiction. I just want to make it clear that she is not a Mary Sue. If she starts to be, FLAME ME so I can KILL HER OFF! BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! ….er….sorry. I hate Mary Sues, so…..yeah.

I will add another kind of kind of not OC next chapter, who is the sibling of another of the digidestined, so don't kill me. And what do you think of this whole taking over the planet thing? Hee hee… I'm such a weirdo. Bye bye!

-the author signing out…


	6. Chapter 6

To my only reviewer for the last chapter, Flamepaw, thank you. I appreciate your review. I am glad that you like it, and I hope you will continue to read it, because it is a drastically complicated story with a ton of action and heroics. It is supposed to be really cool. But your contributions make it even better.

And don't worry about Rika. As you'll see below, she is not as weak as I am making her seem. Or in other words, not as weak as she is pretending to be. So please enjoy. And everyone else reading this far, thank you. Please continue. Your reviews would be awesome.

(------)

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. None of it. I do not own Rem. My sister does.

I Own: I own this plot. I own NW. I spent a LONG time creating NW, so don't steal it. I own Aim. I own Rem's lines, but not Rem herself. She is my sister's OC.

Note: I spell Rika's name half English version, half Japanese version, because I was ignorant, and now it's too late. Her name to me will always be Rika Makino. I will never get used to Ruki Makino, or Ruki Nonaka, or Rika Nonaka, But only Rika Makino. I'm sorry for you who are paranoid. I began with a mistake and now I like it that way. Lol. Sorry.

Thank you! Please read and review!

(------)

Rika stared at the room that she had been locked in. They told her she was a guest. They told her it was a mistake that she was here, and that they'd send her home as soon as possible. But Rika knew better. If anything, she knew how to smell a lie, and knew how to determine the enemy. Whoever these people were, they were not only lying to her, they were definitely the enemy. And not just her enemy for kidnapping her, or Kouji's enemy for shooting him, but the digital world's enemy. And for that, they would pay. Because no one messed with the digital world without suffering her wrath.

She examined her surroundings closely. There was a bed in this small room, with a single light in the middle of the ceiling. There stood in one corner of the small square room a metal dresser, with a mirror on it. Besides these things, there was nothing. Not even a closet. But above all else, in the top corner of the room above the dresser was a tiny security camera.

No privacy. How delightful. Rika strolled over to the camera and glared up into it, narrowing her eyes and willing with all her might for the person watching to feel her wrath. They weren't fooling her for a second. This was no guest room. This was a prison.

She sat on the bed and tried to think. She couldn't have done anything to help Kouji, or have escaped when that Aim guy had them locked up. She couldn't have run away when they separated her from Kouji while on this space station. She was completely helpless in that respect.

"Helpless," Rika spat the word out. "I hate that word. It was never supposed to be in my vocabulary." She didn't want to imagine herself being helpless in any situation, so she didn't. She pushed that thought out of her head and decided on a better way of looking at it. "It wasn't the right time to act," she thought to herself. "If I had tried anything, I could be dead. And I never put myself foolishly in danger of death unless there's no other way. However, now that they've left me alone…" she glanced up at the security camera… "Sort of…but anyway, now I have time to think of a plan."

She would never admit it to anyone, not even herself, but seeing someone get shot totally shocked her, and stalled her ability to act. If she had not been sickened at the sight of so much blood, and had not experienced shock for a small amount of time, she could have saved both Kouji and herself. At least, she thought so. She didn't know. She didn't like to think about the possibility of there being nothing she could have done. Helplessness was a hated prospect. She even hated using the word.

But now she was kidnapped by…by aliens! Of all things! If she could punch anyone right now, it would be Kazu and Kenta, and their wild stories of aliens coming to earth someday to take over. They were both dead serious about it too. Maybe the reason she wanted to punch them so bad was because it was really happening.

How could it be really happening? How could aliens really be taking over? It was stupid! "It's probably a reality TV show or something," she growled. It probably was, wasn't it? She settled on that conclusion for a little bit, and tried to cling to it, but the reality of entering through the atmosphere and seeing the stars was more real than anything she'd ever experienced.

She stared wide-eyed at nothing, remembering that trip. She had felt the Gee's. She had seen the atmosphere. She had seen the stars…the moon…the planets…everything. It was real. How on earth could this be a reality TV show, when no such flying ship exists? It was impossible unless…

"Unless aliens did it…" she sighed. "How stupid is that? Worse than a million Kazus and Kentas living in the same house as me." She stopped and thought for a minute. "No, I take that back. Just one Kazu and Kenta living in the same house as me would be worse than aliens taking over…aliens that seem perfectly human to me…"

She stood up and paced around. This was ridiculous. How could anything like this be happening? How could she possibly have gotten herself into a situation where she was helpless? "I can't do anything!" she thought angrily.

Suddenly, an idea came to her, and she seized upon it instantly, thinking it through. Yes, it just might work. She grinned in relief, and sat back down on her bed, thinking it through some more. Yes, it was a relatively good idea. It wasn't fool proof, but it was better than nothing. She began to work it out in her head, being careful to make it look to the security camera like she wasn't planning anything.

As long as they thought of her as useless and clueless, she could work this plan out. But she'd have to keep up the illusion that she was a wimp. She sighed. That would be hard. But she could do it. Rika Makino could do anything she put her mind to.

(------)

Izzy slid his identification card through the slot, and stepped back. The wall slid open, revealing steps leading down underground. He turned with a grin to his companions, and led them inside. "Secret lab," he said happily. "This is the building where I work. We had this place installed just in case. You guys may not know it, but there is a lot of dangerous work going on in the government, and they want to keep a lot of information safe. I have kind of an important job, so I can come down here whenever I need to. Rest assured, no one knows about this except three people, and I'm one of them."

"But can we trust the other two people?" Tai asked, concerned. He looked shocked that Izzy had access to a place like this.

"Can you trust Joe's brother and Sora's Dad?" Izzy asked, leading the entire group down the stairs, through some blast doors, into a computer lab that looked like a NASA room or something.

"My dad?" Sora frowned. "What does he have to do with this?"

"Oh, he works with us on certain projects you guys aren't supposed to know about. He goes on so many business trips we hardly ever see him though."

"I know," Sora sulked, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I hardly ever see him anyway."

"That's because he's wanted all over the world. He has an important job, and he's the best in his field." Izzy smiled proudly.

"What does he do?" Matt came up and placed his arm around Sora's waist, ignoring Tai's subtle and jealous glare.

"Sorry, I can't tell you that." Izzy sat them down in chairs, and took a deep breath. "Okay, now that we're all here, we can talk freely, and know we're safe. The enemy, whoever they are, can't find us here."

"Unless the enemy is the government…" Joe looked worried. "Izzy, are you aloud to bring us down here?"

Izzy blushed. "Well…no…I'm not…but…I figure this is important."

"Now we're going to get in trouble." Tai sighed. "Izzy, I don't want to make the government our enemy too…"

"Don't worry about it! There's only three people who work here, and we haven't been called in for a long time. We'll be fine!" Izzy frowned. "Let's try to figure out exactly what to do."

"Stay together is number one." Mimi crossed her arms and nodded firmly.

"And don't fight yet." Matt sighed. "This is ridiculous. Why do we have to sit here and do nothing? We can't even have help from our digimon this time! This stinks!"

"Hey, saving the worlds has never been easy. The older we get, the harder the enemies." Tai tried to sound like he knew what he was talking about. He had matured a lot, but not that much. He was still a teenager, and couldn't think like an adult. And probably what they needed in this fight was an adult. How lame was that?

"We need to discover who the enemy is first, before we fight. That's probably what Gennai meant when he sent those messages." TK stared at the room around him with interest. "So Izzy, what work do you do that got you down here? And aren't you a little young?"

"Oh, I do odds and ends. I can't tell you. Sorry. And maybe I'm young, but I'm good at what I do."

"That's no fun," Yolei teased. She grinned at Izzy and sighed. "Well, I guess we know what the enemy is. The message I got said that the enemy was humans. So the question now is…"

"Is it the government we are fighting? Or someone else who is tampering with things they shouldn't?" Ken spoke up. He was looking particularly jealous about Izzy being able to have a job like this, whereas he didn't get to. He had been slowly growing out of his depression from his experience in the digital world. And once he discovered that he was still smart without the spore, he never stopped expanding his knowledge, and hoped to be important one day. He wanted to prove he was worth something, but he also wanted to enjoy himself. Things like working on computers and programs for the government were more exciting to him than the greatest zip-line ever would be to Davis. So yes, he was pretty jealous of Izzy. "I think it may be the government. We don't even know if they know the digital world exists."

"It's not the government," Davis said loudly. "I think it's…people from outer space, who are trying to take over the digital world so they can take over our world!"

The annoyed glances that were shot his way did not discourage him. He was used to not being taken seriously, and figured that if he kept talking anyway, some of what he was saying would stick.

"Just think about it guys!" He said urgently, grabbing the pencil from his back pocket and a wad of paper from his front pocket to draw a diagram. He used one of the desks for a table, and quickly drew a sketch. "Here's the digital world, and here's us. Lets say someone from somewhere out in space knows about us, and wants to take our planet. The only way they could is if they got rid of the digital world first." He drew some lines and stuff on his paper. "So in order to get rid of the digital world, they would first have to eliminate the digidestined. How do they determine who the digidestined are? Let's say they send an earthquake. Like the ones that hit us. Now they know who we are, and they can get rid of us. As soon as we're out of the way, they'll destroy the digital world, and then take over Earth." He proudly showed his drawing to the group. "The spaceship I saw confirms this. The earthquakes help confirm it too. And, the messages we got were all clues that lead up to this. I see no other explanation."

"Davis…" TK sighed. "Not only is that preposterous, it doesn't all fit together like you think. For instance, the message I got says that the problem comes from our world. Which means Earth, not outer space."

"Plus," Matt chuckled at Davis' simple scribbles, an almost-sneer on his face. "Your ideas and plans have never worked, nor have they ever been right."

Davis grumbled under his breath, and turned away from the two brothers. TK was not mean, he knew, he was just trying to think things through. Matt, on the other hand, had always been a little rude to Davis. He didn't think Davis was worthy of being leader either. Davis turned his attention to Tai and Izzy, who he knew were the two people he had the biggest chance of being taken seriously with. "What do you guys think?"

Tai sighed. He looked iffy. "You know, TK has a point…" he ignored Matt's statement. In his mind, anything Matt said was not helpful. At least right now. Matt wasn't thinking about how to solve the problem. He was obviously thinking about Sora. And that was both annoying and infuriating to Tai. "The messages we received said the problem came from us. Or at least, from our world. So even though your theory is plausible, it doesn't hold a lot of weight."

"Puh. You guys just don't want to believe anything I have to say!"

"That's not true," Izzy said simply. "I was thinking a lot about what you said. And about what you just said, Tai."

"And?" Tai didn't have Izzy's brain, therefore he could not follow Izzy's thought process. Everyone else, for lack of knowledge, waited for Izzy to finish.

"And it has put a serious and drastic theory in my head which I am hesitant to tell." He looked particularly guilty, and everyone wondered why.

"And this theory is?" Ken leaned forward, wondering if Izzy's guess was the same as his own.

"Where's Davis?" Kari suddenly broke into the conversation. She was looking around, ever the observant one, and had a concerned look on her face.

"What do you mean?" TK looked around to, suddenly aware of Davis' absence. "Did he…leave?"

"He said something about proving he was right, and then went to the back of the room." Kari frowned, obviously worried. "I thought he was going to draw another diagram or something…You don't think he left do you?"

"He probably did," Matt sighed, annoyed. "So much for listening to direction and staying together."

"We should look for him!" Kari stood up from the chair she was sitting on, and walked toward the back of the room.

Yolei dramatically leaped in front of Kari, and blocked the exit. "Oh no you don't!" she yelled. Everyone cringed, and Cody covered his ears. She could be pretty loud when she had a mind to be. "If you go out there, you'll be bait for the birds, so to speak! You have to stay here. We have to stay together, remember?"

"Yeah but he's…"

"He's foolishly out there trying to prove his alien theory. He'll either be fine, or you can count him missing."

"Yolei!"

"I'm serious Kari, at this point, you can't go after people. We have to stick together!"

"Although you're right Yolei, I don't think looking for Davis would be a bad idea. I think we need to find him, if my theory is correct." Izzy still looked guilty, and extremely serious. "And we need to find the others, too."

"Others?" Joe asked, confused.

"Others," Izzy confirmed.

"Meaning?" Tai crossed his arms. This was something he knew he probably should have known about, and was angry that Izzy was keeping it from him.

"Meaning other digidestined."

The room went silent. Finally, Mimi spoke up. "There's more? Then…"

"Then we have to find them," Kari declared, placing her hands on her hips. "And finding Davis while we're at it wont be a problem."

"Then we need to have a plan. Izzy, you stay here. Kari, since you're so eager to go, you can be part of the search team. We'll have two search teams." Tai was already taking charge. Now that he was 17, and more mature, he was better at making plans. Everyone acknowledged that he was the leader, even over Davis, and they all knew that he had experience with making plans. Maybe he used to be terrible when he was 11, but that was a long time ago. Now, he was ready for something like this. Whipping out a plan was simple. And he already knew everyone well enough to know who was perfect to go. He sighed inwardly, relieved that he was able to do this sort of thing. If this problem had happened six years ago, he wouldn't be able to do it like he could now.

"Can I stay here too?" Joe asked. He grinned guiltily. "I know a lot of first aid, so if something happens, I should stay here so I could help."

Tai rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about it Joe." He turned to look at everyone. "Okay, Matt, I want you, TK, Kari, and Mimi in one search team, and Sora, I want you, Me, Yolei, and Ken on the other. Matt, your team can search for Davis, and then for other digidestined. My team will just look for the others. The rest of you, I want you to figure out what the problem is, and get us safely hidden from the enemy. Maybe it would be a good idea to figure out if we need to stay down here, or if we should be safe at home."

"I think…maybe…we should stay down here…" there was that guilty look on Izzy's face again. "There's more than just the lab. There are a couple rooms, and a kitchen, believe it or not."

"That's almost too convenient. How'd you work that out?" Tai chuckled. "No matter. Let's move out. Izzy? How many digidestined are we looking for?"

Izzy sighed, and shook his head. "I have no idea. I just know about three, but I think there's more."

"I'll ask you how you know this when we get back. Everyone, lets go!"

The digidestined didn't argue. Matt might have argued at not getting to be on the same team as Sora, but he quieted down before Tai could hear. All of them felt the fear of impending doom, even though they didn't know what exactly was going on. And even Davis' theory weighed on their minds. Because, if it were true…then there wasn't really any way they could fight. Was there?

The two teams hurried off, hoping nothing would happen to them.

(------)

Izzy stared at the collection of messages he'd been putting together, trying to find the clues in all of them. He only had three so far. The first one was the message Tai and Kari had received. The second was the one he had received. The third had been TK's message.

They were all a little daunting, and all of them a little confusing. And yet, they lead up to something…something he didn't want to be true.

Tai's: _You are in another battle, as we speak, my friends. And this time, you are alone. But do not think of it as being alone, for you have each other to count on. We will help as we can, but it is too late for us to escape now. Only you can defeat this evil this time._

Izzy's: _The war has begun, and you will soon be in the midst of it. Stay inconspicuous, and you can help us. Do not stand and fight yet, for the time is not right. We at the digital world are suffering from the same war, but we cannot help you this time. You must stop this on your own, because the problem comes from your kind. We can only bring those to our world who will not be noticed if they go missing._

_Prepare for the threat! Do not waste your time by trying to find out how to stop it. For that will come in time. First, find out what the problem is. And for your own safety, do not let yourself get separated from the others. It is much harder to fight alone._

TK's: _Beware, TK. Another battle has begun. But this time, it comes from outside our world. It began with your world, and it must end with you. Stay together, and listen to the words of your companions. And be sure to find out as much as you can about your enemy before trying to fight them. If you hurry into the fight, you will lose. And the hope of our two worlds depend on your survival._

"I don't like it," Izzy mumbled, aware of Ken staring at the messages over his shoulder. The young genius was probably thinking through them, and was probably coming to a conclusion close to the one Izzy had right now.

"I don't either," Ken frowned. "There's something missing. There's a piece of knowledge that is implied here, that we are supposed to know about." He turned to Izzy with a searching look. "What is it you know Izzy?"

Izzy gulped, and felt his face go pale. Maybe it would be better if he waited for everyone to come back. "Wait…" he told Ken quietly. "I'll tell you when the others come back."

"How about this "bringing those to our world who wont be noticed?" What does the message mean by that?" Ken probed. He pointed to Cody, sitting thoughtfully next to him. "Is it talking about Cody?"

"I don't know…Is it?" Izzy turned to Cody.

Cody held up his D-Terminal, a calm expression on his face. A message simply said: _Cody, please help me. _But by the expression on Cody's face, Izzy figured Cody was hinting that he should go to the digital world to help out whoever was asking.

"Alright," Izzy sighed, holding out his D-3. "Digi-port, open!" Out from the computer, the digi-port opened, and Cody walked silently through.

Ken shook his head. "He doesn't say much, does he?"

"Except when he's got something important to say, not really. He's like that."

"I know." Ken turned back to Izzy. "But tell me. What is it you know?"

Izzy shifted uncomfortably. "Well…see…" he gulped. "It's kind of like this…"

(------)

Takuya stared at the elevator door wistfully, memories of his adventures in the digital world drifting across his mind. What he wouldn't give to go back and do it again, this time doing everything right…

He turned and walked back toward the bus stop. Shinya was gone. Probably, he'd go there and come back just as quickly as Takuya had done three years ago. But there was a chance that it would take longer. So instead of waiting around, he decided to put his time to use. He should probably go home, but since he was already out here, he might as well look around for Kouji's house.

Wow. That was exciting. Kouji had moved back into Odaiba. That meant that the gang could get together more often! Maybe they should get together today. They'd probably think it was funny that Takuya's little brother was going to the digital world, just as they had done.

"Or maybe they'll be jealous, like me." He grinned, placing his hands behind his head. Yeah, Shinya was lucky. It would be hard, and probably life threatening at the digital world. And Shinya knew nothing about it. But still, Takuya envied him. It was better than sitting around doing nothing, wasn't it?

"Jealous of what?" Someone stepped up next to him, also waiting for the bus. Takuya turned to glance at the person, and blinked in horror. He was taller than Takuya was, and a little bit older. He looked young, about 16, but he also looked older. He looked like he could be something like 18. But that wasn't what was horrifying. What was horrifying was the gun in his hands, pointed directly at Takuya's face!

"N-nothing…" Takuya gulped, stepping backward. "If you're after money, all I've got is a little bit of change for the bus fare. And a watch…but it's cheap. You can have it though…"

"Quit babbling!" the guy holding the gun snapped. He rolled his eyes. "The last two I picked up were too serious, and you're not serious enough!"

"Well what do you expect me to do when a guy comes up and points a gun at me?" Takuya frowned. "Glare at you? I'd rather not get myself shot, thank you very much!"

"For someone who doesn't want to get shot, you sure are risking a lot by talking instead of putting your hands in the air."

Takuya blinked. "Oh. Right. My bad." He lifted his hands in the air, knocking the gun out of the guy's hands as he did so, and then ran off as fast as he could screaming "HELP!"

He knew that he was being incredibly foolish, but he didn't care. There was a police station just around the corner, and he was going to get there. He couldn't have known, however, that his attacker was not fazed by the gun being whacked from his hands. Instead, he simply pulled out another one, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

Takuya heard the gunshot, and sighed with relief that he was already around the corner before he could get shot. That was a close one. Who was this crazy guy? Why was he trying to shoot him? His D-Tector buzzed, but he couldn't fish it out of his pocket while he was running.

WHAM! Takuya found himself falling flat on his face, scraping his knees on the sidewalk. He said "ouch!" a couple times, and glanced up to see what had knocked him over.

"You again!" Takuya complained, seeing the guy with the gun staring down at him with an annoyed expression.

"You are more work than you're worth," the guy snapped back. "I rarely miss, and I never thought I'd be wasting bullets on the likes of you!"

"You could stop shooting people, and then you wouldn't ever waste a bullet again." Takuya grinned sheepishly, staring up at the man. He picked himself up from the ground, brushed himself off, and stared at his attacker placidly. "So what now? You going to shoot me?"

The man flinched, clearly annoyed. "No." he stated, fishing out handcuffs and clamping them on Takuya's wrists. "I'm going to kidnap you."

"Ah. I see." Takuya tried not to spit out insults that could get him shot, and tried to think of what to do. "Well there's only one thing left to do then," he stated. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth and screamed at the top of his lungs. "HELP! KIDNAP! HELP! HELP! I'M BEING KIDNAPPED! POLICE! HELP! HE-…" Something whacking him on the head, and his vision blurred. "Ow…" he mumbled, slumping to the ground. "That hurt…"

And then it all went black.

(------)

"What took you two so long?"

Shinya jumped at the sound of the voice speaking to him, and looked around. He was on the train now, in the passenger compartment. Kariko had pulled him in, and was now looking around her with interest. Another person was on the train, and he was staring at them with the kind of look that people who think they are cool give.

"Mistrust," Shinya stated, staring at the guy suspiciously. He looked to be about Shinya's age, with short dark hair that was almost black, and slanted eyes that most girls just adore. He looked like he played sports, because he looked athletic, and he had his hands behind his head casually. "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Jeremiah." Jeremiah grinned and held out his hand for Shinya to shake. "I'm American, by birth, but my heritage is Japanese. I just moved up here recently. I never expected to be called down here onto a mysterious train for unknown reasons."

Shinya bowed slightly, but did not shake Jeremiah's hand. He was too weirded out. "So why did you come down here?"

"Because…well…" Jeremiah frowned. "I don't know. If I was in my right mind, I wouldn't have. But my cousin convinced me to."

"Who's your cousin?"

"His name is Takato. He's a sweet guy."

Shinya cringed at the use of the word "sweet." He was about to say something, when the train suddenly began moving. Freaked, he grabbed a seat and stared out the window as the train sped up and headed out into the blackness of one of the holes in the wall.

"I know Takato," Karkio said, her voice shaking as the train continued to pick up speed. "My brother and him are friends!"

"Sweet."

There was that misuse of the word sweet again! How annoying! Shinya huffed and tried to ignore Jeremiah. He didn't have to try very hard, because at that moment, one of the compartment doors slid open, and two people walked in.

"This is so exciting!" One of them, a boy about Shinya's age exclaimed. He had shaggy brown hair, and was wearing a stylish brown beanie that had a lid. He wore a white T-shirt, and brown khaki pants. He was grinning at a girl about his age who was walking in with him. Shinya recognized him as Tommy, one of Shinya's and Takuya's friends. But he was more Takuya's friend than Shinya's, even though he was closer to Shinya's age. He also went to the same school that Shinya did. "It's just like last time! I can't believe I get to go back!"

"Yeah, me too," the girl said, a smile lighting her face. Her hair was short and dark, and tied in two braids. She looked almost more Chinese than Japanese, and she had a sweet smile. She was wearing jeans and a jacket, and had a backpack on her back.

"Really? When did you go before?" Tommy asked, wide-eyed.

"I went…"

"Ahem?" Jeremiah interrupted their conversation. "And who are you two?"

Tommy blinked, and grinned. He had a smile that came easily, and he never hesitated to use it. That was probably why he was kinda of popular at school. "I'm Tommy. Nice to meet you."

"And I'm Suzie." The girl smiled sweetly.

"I'm Jeremiah," Jeremiah held out his hand, and Tommy shook it. He winked at Suzie, who simply blinked, and bowed.

"I'm Kariko, and this is Shinya." Kariko grinned widely. "Want to sit down?" she stood up, and pulled Tommy to the seat next to hers. Obviously, she though he was cute.

"Girls," Shinya thought, disgusted. "I can introduce myself," he stated. He glanced at Tommy, who just grinned even wider.

"Shinya, so you're here. Too bad for Takuya. I'll bet you he's jealous."

"Jealous?" Shinya frowned. He didn't understand. Wait, was this about the other world they were going to have to fight for? He decided to ask. "Takuya told me something…" he said suspiciously. "But you…you know about it to?"

"Have you ever wondered how Takuya and I could be such good friends?"

"Many times."

"Well, you'll find out."

"Maybe we should," Suzie stood up, glancing at Tommy for a minute, and then restating herself. "I think since Tommy and I know where we are going, we should tell you guys what to expect, and why we're here."

"Good idea," Tommy agreed. "You guys should know, because it'll make you more prepared when we get there. And that will be any second now."

"Tell us what?" Jeremiah glanced at Shinya, and both of them shared a look of mistrust against what Tommy and Suzie were going to say. "What exactly are we facing here?"

Karkio grinned and clapped her hands together. "The digital world!" she exclaimed.

Shinya's eyes widened. The digital world? Wait… that sounded familiar! That's right…three years ago, on Shinya's eighth birthday, Takuya had burst into the house with the most amazing story Shinya had ever heard. About warriors of fire, light, wind, thunder, ice, and darkness. About a battle between good and evil for a whole different world than this one. And he had fought it. He had been the warrior of fire.

Shinya had been fascinated, until his mother stepped in and scolded Takuya for making up stories. She had accused Takuya of playing dungeons and dragons, and sent him to his room straight after the birthday party. And so Shinya had forgotten all about it.

"So it was true?" he asked, already knowing the answer to the question. Tommy gave him a knowing look, and placed another easy smile on his face.

"Yep." Tommy sighed. "I was the warrior of ice."

Shinya stared at him in shock. So if that whole story was true then…. He chuckled in disbelief. "So that's why you and Takuya are such good friends…" he stated.

Suzie looked confused. "You'll have to tell me your story sometime," she said softly. "But for now, I'll just say that we are going to the digital world. And we're going to fight against an evil that is not digital. It's human. Which is a big problem. I'll explain in a little bit."

"I'm so confused…" Jeremiah sighed. "Let's start over. Where are we going?"

Kariko shook her head. "It looks like we're going to have to do a lot of explaining."

(------)

Well, that's all I have the ability to do right now. I have a tremendous headache. Can you believe I wrote that it one sitting? I still need to edit it…okay done. But that's all for now. Please read and please REVIEW! Blessings upon all of you who review. I appreciate it.

Until next time! That's all.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi again! Thank you Kouzumi93 and Angel Born of Darkness! You guys are so sweet to review! I love this story, and getting reviews is encouraging. I hope you'll continue to read it.**

**However, I must advise you to please, please, please be warned. I am going to be kind of mean to a couple characters. For example, I had Kouji shot in the leg, and Takuya hit on the head. Lol. That was fun. But sadly, the bad guys are much more evil than just that. So a couple things will get worse. Some characters will go through a lot. But that doesn't mean I hate em. On the contrary, I love them all. That's why I'm writing this. I just am….weird….and sometimes I'm twisted. You'll see why in this chapter.**

**Please read and review!**

(------)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Digimon. I do not own Rem. Tasha/Tshk does.

**I own**: Aim. NW. And Stardashcircle. (Yeah, Stardashcircle is a lame name. Live with it)

And now lets begin.

(------)

"Davis!" Kari called, getting anxious. They had been looking for him for two hours now! "That idiot. What does he think he's doing?"

"Chill Kari, he's not the only one we're looking for. We have to be aware." TK placed an encouraging hand on her shoulder, and walked with her at the front of the group. Matt and Mimi drudgingly followed. All of them were annoyed. Two hours, and still they hadn't found Davis or anyone else.

"Once again, Tai's plans fall short." Matt groaned. "He said look. But what if we don't find anyone? What if his group finds everyone, and we find no one? How do we know when to go back?"

"Matt, don't be so quick to despair!" Mimi nudged him with a grin. "After all, we've got Mimi on the team!"

Matt groaned again. "Oh yes. Perfect." He ran a hand through his hair in annoyance. "What we need is someone levelheaded like Sora."

"No, you just want your girlfriend." Mimi smirked at him. "Pa-LEEZE! What we need is a little optimism. We aren't trying the right way."

"What right way?" Kari sighed. "Matt's right. This feels hopeless."

"Kari?" TK stared duciously at her, and then smiled encouragingly. "YOU'RE saying that?"

Kari smiled back at him, blushing. "You're right. I guess I am being a little overly dramatic."

"I think you're right on," Matt mentioned.

"Well I'll side with Mimi. Mimi? What did you have in mind?" Matt's younger brother gave him a disapproving look, and turned to Mimi confidently.

She jumped right into her idea. "What was the one thing that distinguished us from everyone else?" Mimi asked, glancing at the three of them with an expectant look. "The earthquake of course."

"Oh. Of course." Matt rolled his eyes. "So we just ask around to see if anyone felt the earthquake?"

Mimi shrugged. "That's the idea."

TK sighed. "Well, let's give it a shot. Let's just ask people around our age. They wont be older, so we can narrow down our search."

Kari looked around. "Okay. Let's try those three people over there."

Matt and Mimi followed the younger two to the small group of young people hanging around a bakery.

"This better work," Matt complained.

Mimi rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, it will."

(------)

"It was around here somewhere…" Davis snuck through the trees, toward the clearing where he saw the spaceship before. He had his brand new digital video camera, and was going to find one and take a video of a spaceship so that they would believe him. "Those dorks," he complained. "They never believe me. Well this time, I'll show them just how serious this is. I have to prove to them I know what I'm talking about!" He came upon the clearing suddenly, and hid behind a tree to look.

It was the same construction clearing as before, expect this time, there was no ship. A little discouraged, Davis sighed. He decided he might as well wait, and crouched next to the tree patiently. He had learned to have some patience over the years. Not much, but just enough. If it was something important, he could wait for it. At least, he thought so anyway…

Someone walking through the trees caught his attention, and he perked up and looked around. Carefully, he turned on his digital video camera—(can't have it any other way)—and waited for the person to come into view.

It was a young man, who looked either 16 or 17—so around Izzy's age—and was carrying someone over his shoulder. He looked like an agent from a spy movie or something, and he had weapons all over him. Davis instantly knew he was probably a bad guy, and crouched lower. He didn't want to get seen, if these were the bad guys. That would not be a good idea. He started recording.

The guy with the person slung over his shoulder threw his load down to the ground mercilessly, and pulled something out of his pocket. Davis watched with interest as the guy pointed the black little thing in his hand at empty space, and clicked a button.

An invisible shield wore away quickly, revealing a spaceship on the ground. It was smaller than the other one Davis had seen, but it looked more dangerous. It looked faster, and had more guns on it. Plus, it had an invisible shield! Davis took several shots of it, and then turned his attention to the unconscious person the guy had thrown to the ground.

The person was stirring. He sat up slowly, blinking, and stared at the ship in disbelief. "No way!" he commented. "You must have hit me pretty hard, because I can see a spaceship right in front of me."

"Shut up," the captor complained, pulling his prisoner to his feet and dragging him toward the ship. "Just get inside."

"I'd rather not," the captive pulled back, attempting all kinds of struggling and fighting back to get away. However, he was not successful.

"Who is this guy?" Davis whispered to himself. "Why is he being captured? He looks like a kid who lives on my street!"

Finally, after much struggling, the captive stopped, and relaxed. He knew he wasn't getting anywhere.

"Much better," the guy with the gun in his hands snarled. "Now get on the ship before I put a bullet in your shoulder."

The captive walked slowly for a ways, hesitated, and then turned back to his captor. "Why are you kidnapping me anyway?" he asked.

"Because I have to. Now hurry up unless you want to get knocked out again."

"That's okay, my head hurts. I'll just walk on…" he grumbled and walked onto the ship, looking freaked and hesitant. The "bad guy" followed him in.

"I've got to do something!" Davis thought urgently. "The only question is…what?" He hid his camera in the tree so that it could continue recording, and threw a rock into the trees a ways away.

TADA! It worked! The guy with the gun whirled around, glaring into the spot where the rock had fallen. Slowly, he crept toward the trees, his gun cocked and his hand ready. "Who's there?" he demanded. "Come out now!"

Davis tried to think of what else to do. So far, his plan was just whatever he made up. That wasn't very productive. How was he supposed to rescue the captive kid, when the captor had a gun? And what did Davis have? Nothing! No Veemon to help him out this time.

"I'm warning you!" the man whirled around, looking into all the trees around him as he searched for the person. "If you don't come out now…"

Davis grinned. If he didn't come out, then what? It was likely that the guy waving the gun around wouldn't do anything.

The captive kid was seeing his chance, and starting sneaking off the ship so that he could run away. However, he probably wouldn't make it unless Davis did something to help.

"I sure wish I had a better idea than this," he whispered to himself, hefting a large rock into his hand. He aimed carefully, and sent it flying, hoping it would hit the enemy on the head.

Fate must have been on his side. Amazingly, the rock found its mark, striking the captor with the gun on the side of the head. He collapsed, temporarily knocked out.

"No way!" Davis exclaimed. "That actually worked? No one will ever believe me!" he rushed forward, as the captive rushed towards him.

"Nice aim!" The kid complimented.

Davis beamed. "Thanks. Listen, you gotta get out of here. I don't know why they're trying to capture you but…hey!" Davis stared at something in the kid's pocket in awe. "What's that? Is that a D-3? No way!"

"I'm Takuya…" Takuya raised an eyebrow in confusion. "And no, it's a D-tector."

"A D-something though! You're a digidestined, aren't you? No wonder he's capturing you!"

"Hey, how did you…"

"No time to explain. There's a hideout. You've got to get there. Everyone else is there. It's…" Davis gasped, and shut his mouth. Something that felt like a gun was being jabbed into his back.

"A hideout?" a malicious and angry voice asked. "Oh really? Tell me…where is this hideout where everyone else is?"

Davis turned his head, paling. The man he had just hit with a rock was glaring at him, a gun pointed at his back. In his other hand was a gun pointed at Takuya. Instead of answering, Davis turned to look at Takuya with an apologetic expression. "Oops," he mouthed.

"Well, the General will know how to extract this information from you. I'm not allowed to hurt you. But if you cause me any trouble, I will."

Davis tried not to grin, but one crept its way onto his face anyway. "How's your head?" he asked casually. He was rewarded with a blow to his head that knocked him unconscious. The last thing he heard before blacking out was his captor's voice saying. "It's feeling better…now."

(------)

"I can't believe Ken left us!" Tai complained again. He'd been complaining for a whole two and a half hours.

"Tai," Sora rolled her eyes. "He wanted to stay and help Izzy, and you let him! There's nothing wrong with a search group of three."

"But I'm the only guy," Tai sighed. "And he's good at looking."

"And good looking!" Yolei giggled, passing the two older kids to rush ahead of the group.

"You could have asked Cody to come. He's good at looking too." Sora ignored Yolei.

"Yeah well…"

"Hi, have you seen a guy about my age, about this high, brownish-reddish hair…brown eyes, and goggles on his head? Did he come by this way?" Yolei asked yet another person. She'd been asking every single person on the way. Sometimes she got a "yes. He went that way," and sometimes she got a "no, sorry." Sometimes, she even got a "sorry cutie. But if you're looking for a date…" She would blush madly, stutter a few things, and then Tai would have to intervene and tell the guys to bug off.

"Please Yolei," he'd been saying to her. "Don't ask guys your age, okay?"

But she couldn't help it. And it so happened to be a young man her age that she had asked this time.

He was taller than her, and had very, very dark eyes with black, black hair. He had a blue hat, a long-sleeve shirt, and brown khaki pants. In Yolei's opinion, he was cute and good looking at the same time, so she couldn't resist asking him. Sora and Tai watched her with mild amusement. Obviously she was having the time of her life. She rarely met so many "cute" boys in one day.

"Takuya?" the boy asked. There was something about his eyes that reminded Tai of Ken. He couldn't place it though. _It's that same look…only his is mixed with anger and frustration. I wonder what his story is…_

"No, his name is Davis."

"Oh." The boy shrugged. A dog panted by his leg, staring at them with deep, sad, black eyes. "Sorry. I know someone like that. Only he gave his goggles to his brother. Now he just wears a hat all the time. Not that hats are bad…" he fidgeted nervously, aware that three people were staring at him expectantly. It made him nervous. "I'm Kouichi," he said eventually. "Maybe I can help you look."

"That would be awesome!" Yolei breathed, fluttering her eyelids. She had learned from Mimi how to do it just right, and it never failed to get a guy's attention. Kouichi, however, was too occupied with looking around fervently to notice. That both amused Tai and Sora, and distressed Yolei. But she didn't give up heart yet.

"So, you must be looking for someone too," Tai said eventually, walking next to Kouichi. Now they had a group of four. That at least was cool, but he didn't know anything about Kouichi except that he had a guard dog. That might come in handy actually…

"Yes," Kouichi sighed. "I'm looking for my brother. After the earthquake, his dog Zaiev here found me and alerted me to…"

"You felt the earthquake?" Sora asked, suddenly alert. "Then you must be…"

Kouichi stared at her solemnly. "Must be what?"

Sora faltered. "Um…a digidestined…." Somehow, saying that word to this serious young man made her feel ridiculous. It did sound a little childish, didn't it?

"Yes?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "But that was three years ago."

"You never stop being one," Tai chuckled. "I mean, look at me! I'm 17! And I still have to help save the dworld again."

Kouichi raised both eyebrows now. "Then you…" he stopped speaking, and looked down, his eyes growing sad again. "My brother is too. And he's missing. I found this, where Zaiev last saw him." He held up a bullet casing. "I think he's been…shot." His voice broke, but he cleared his throat and pretended everything was okay.

"I'm sorry," Sora tried to be comforting. She would have placed a hand on his shoulder, but she didn't know him very well. She just felt like she could know him. He was a digidestined after all…

"Yeah well, whoever did it will be sorrier." His face hardened briefly, and then he sighed. He looked normal again. "So, what's going on with you guys?"

"We're looking for Davis because he ran off. He was trying to prove his theory about our enemy being from outer space or something, and now we have to find him. We're trying to find other digidestined like you too, because we're all in danger." Tai glanced around him. Yolei was asking people the Davis question again.

"I see that." Kouichi glanced at Yolei, who was leading the foursome, as she ran around to different people. "She's interesting," he commented.

"You have no idea." Tai chuckled. "But she's a great kid."

"Guys, this girl says she saw him!" Yolei cut in excitedly. She pointed to a blonde-haired girl next to her, who wore a lavender, elbow-length sleeved shirt, and white pants.

"Zoe?" Kouichi asked. "What's up?"

Zoe, the girl, brightened. "Hi Kouichi! Haven't seen you in a while. Did you feel that earthquake? Weird huh?"

"Zoe, you'd better come with us." Kouichi grabbed her arm and pulled her next to him, looking a little worried. "We may be in danger."

"Oh…" Zoe looked confused, but decided she wouldn't complain.

"Where did you see Davis?" Tai asked urgently. "We need to find him!"

"I saw him run off that way. He goes to my school, so I knew exactly who you were talking about. I saw him coming from his home. I think he went to the park that's closed." Zoe pointed to the direction she believed he had gone, and the five of them hurried in that direction.

Suddenly, Zaiev the dog startled growling, and his hair stood up on his neck.

"Who is it?" Kouichi asked, staring at the dog next to him urgently. "Is it the one who shot Kouji?"

The dog barked in answer, shocking everyone.

"Wow," Zoe exclaimed. "Smart dog. Wait… did you just say…"

"Come on!" Kouichi exclaimed, hurrying forward. "We may find Kouji!"

Tai hurried to keep up with him, warning him to stay close and stay hidden. "This kid," he sighed. "He's pretty upset about his brother."

"Kouji got shot?" Zoe practically screamed, running next to Tai.

"I guess so. That's Kouichi's brother's dog. Er…Kouji's dog."

Zoe shivered. "Creepy. I guess that's why Kouichi's so mad. He rarely gets mad. Usually he wouldn't hurt a fly. But when something happens to his younger brother, he's scary."

Tai grinned. "Yeah, we older brothers are pretty protective. What would our siblings do without us?"

Sora grinned and shook her head, as they all ran toward the place where Davis—and possibly Kouji—were.

(------)

The train screeched to a stop so suddenly, it threw all its passengers off their seats onto the ground. They rolled over each other, bumping their heads on the seats getting bumps and bruises in several places.

"Trailmon!" Tommy screamed. "You did that on purpose!"

Everyone screamed as the train carelessly shook itself, throwing all the passengers out of the train and onto the platform of the Forest Terminal.

Tommy brushed himself off, grumbling, and marched to the front of the train angrily. "Worm, I should have known it was you."

"Welcome back, human brat. You've grown up some it seems." The train, which happened to be a brown trailmon that Tommy called "Worm" opened its huge toothy mouth and laughed, its train whistle screaming loudly as well.

"Yeah, and you changed too. Where's your manners?"

"Never had any. Takuya lived with me, you can do. By the way, how is the little hot-head? Did he come too?"

Shinya stood up, creeping up to stand next to Tommy. He looked freaked, but he tried to act brave. "No," he said loudly, wincing as the large trailmon turned to face him. "But I…I'm his brother, Shinya. Were you two…friends?"

"Course we were! Without him, I wouldn't have won the race! I got an important name now…" he grinned his big toothy grin again. "If you're anything like you're brother, I'll probably hate you and like you at the same time."

"Well, not really, sorry. I'm a little more mature than he was at my age…" Shinya stood up taller. "And anyway…"

"Bla bla. I don't have time to chat. I'm evacuating Digimon to the safe zone. You guys had better make it up to Ophanimon's castle pretty quick or you'll be scanned too."

"Scanned? Worm, what's going on here?" Tommy frowned.

"Ask Ohpanimon…that is, if she's still alive."

Tommy sighed. "Well, at least we're at the Forest Terminal this time. Last time, you dropped us off in the wrong place."

"Yeah well, you lucked out cuz the Fire Village where I dropped you off last time doesn't exist anymore. This is the last Terminal that still exists." Worm blew his whistle, and then hurried away, wishing Shinya the best of luck, and ignoring the others.

Tommy sighed and turned to Shinya. "Well," he said. "You've got the goggles…Everyone's going to be addressing you."

"Me?" Shinya laughed nervously and backed up. "I know nothing about this place!"

"Sure you do. I told you everything I knew about it on the ride over. Suzie told you everything she knew, Kariko told you everything she knew…which wasn't much….and Jeremiah told you what he knew. Of course, everything they knew was different from what I know, so…" Tommy sighed and scratched his head. "It'll be interesting to see what we find. Kouji and Takuya had to rebuild the digital world as Susanoomon, so they would know more about it than me, but I guess I would know more about it than the other three over there…"

"Please," Shinya grimaced. "You're giving me a headache."

"Sorry."

"So what do we do?"

"I suggest we go to Ophanimon's castle, like Worm said. The other three will have to do as you say."

"Why?"

"Because you have the goggles."

"They're not even mine. They're Takuya's. He just loaned them to me."

"Well, they're yours now. And in the digital world, they mean you're the leader." Tommy grinned one of his famous grins. "So tell us what to do, leader."

Karkiko crossed her arms and cleared her throat. "I don't like that," she complained. "All of us know more about the digital world than he does. Why do we have to obey him?"

Suzie grinned, and hid her grin behind her hand. "Well, I know that the goggles makes the leader. Rika had to live with it when Takato became leader, so I'll live with it too."

"I wont." Jeremiah rolled his eyes. "It's stupid. I'll go where I want!"

"Then you're stupid." Tommy glared at him. "You don't know this place like I do. You could die without even knowing what hit you, especially when it's in bad shape."

Shinya groaned. "Let's just stop arguing. That trailmon said we'd die if we stayed out here, and I'd rather not die. The one thing Takuya said to me before he sent me here was that we'd be fighting for our lives. And I'd rather be prepared. Lets go to the castle. Tommy, you know the way. Show us."

Tommy smirked at Jeremiah, and then started walking. Suzie hurried to catch up with him, and Shinya walked behind. Jeremiah sulked for a bit, and then followed him. It was plain to see that he didn't want to be left to die out here on his own. Kariko hurried up to join Shinya.

"You'd better be a good leader," she said firmly. "Cuz if you don't, we'll take the goggles from you and give them to Tommy. He'd make a better leader than you anyway."

Shinya stared at her with a dubious expression, and then rolled his eyes. "Takuya, you didn't tell me this would be happening…" he grumbled. How much worse was it going to get?

(-------)

Davis groaned, and opened his eyes. "Ow…" he complained. "My head hurts."

A bright light flashed in his eyes, and he winced painfully. "Ow! Ow! Turn it off!" He peered through squinched eyes, trying to see what was going on. He started with surprise when he found himself seated at an interrogation table, his hands handcuffed behind his back. Sitting at the table across from him was an older man, wearing a familiar uniform. Wait! It was that same guy he had seen before next to the first spaceship he had seen! It was the very same man! Davis gulped, as he distinctly remembered hearing the man saying, "Perhaps we'll meet again sometime."

The man let a smirk spread across his face. "And so we meet again," he said, his voice cold and unemotional. "I'm General McDowen. What is your name?"

Davis said nothing.

"It doesn't matter. Let's get down to business. I believe you have something to tell me."

Davis shifted in his seat, his eyes growing accustomed to the light. "No I don't," he said softly. He eyes General McDowen suspiciously.

"I think you do."

"I don't know what you mean."

McDowen leaned forward, tapping his hands on the table with an expression of impatience. "Either you tell me now, or you'll tell me later. Where are you "digidestined" hiding? Where is this hideout you spoke of? Answer."

Davis frowned. "I…" he spat out the words before he could stop himself. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

The General raised an eyebrow. "Really? Don't be ridiculous. Aim already heard you tell his other prisoner about it. You can't tell me you don't know, because I know that you know. Now tell me right now. Where is this hideout?"

With a sigh, Davis decided to be firm. He was a digidestined. A leader. He was not going to give their hideout away! He breathed in deeply, and glared at the General defiantly. "I'm not telling." He said, nodding firmly to emphasize his decision.

"Yes you are." Something in McDowen's voice made him feel uneasy.

"Make me," Davis spat out. He glared at the General defiantly. He knew how to be rebellious, and he was going to keep their hideout a secret.

McDowen stood up, a cold grin on his face. "I will," he stated, walking out the door. Two men grabbed Davis' arms and dragged to his feet, forcing him down the hallway. With a feeling of doom, Davis suddenly wished he had just kept his mouth closed. Why did he have to say that?

(------)

Takato Matsuda stared at the group of four that had come up to his bakery to talk to him. Kazu and Kenta were with him. The three of them had been trying to think of what to do to keep safe, especially since they had gotten those cryptic messages about danger and battle coming, and how they had to stick together. They couldn't get a hold of Rika or Ryo, and it was starting to scare them. Now, four complete strangers were headed straight towards them.

"They don't look dangerous," Kenta suggested, pushing his glasses onto his nose. They had slid down again.

"Shows how much you know." Kazu hissed. "They're probably spies."

"Guys, please!" Takato blushed. They were pretty embarrassing to hang around sometimes.

"Hi!" the older girl in the group, a short girl with long hair. Half of it was brown, but about of inch of it at the very ends of the hair was pink. It was an odd look. "Did any of you guys feel that earthquake?"

"Earthquake?" Takato asked. Strange that they would ask him this. He noticed that Kazu and Kenta were saying nothing, hoping that as leader, he could be the one to decide what to say. Of course. They were too chicken. And if these guys turned out to be enemies, they could blame Takato for giving them away. "What earthquake?"

The girl looked discouraged. "Um…never mind. Sorry we bothered you."

The younger girl blinked, and reached into her pocket. "Funny," she commented, staring at an object in here hand. "This says that…"

"Kari! Put that away!" The oldest guy exclaimed, forcing her hand down. He gave her a warning look, and turned back to Takato. "Sorry we bothered you. We're just going to go now."

"Matt," Kari frowned at him. "Stop it. My D-3 says that there are three digidestined standing right in front of me. It can only be these guys."

"I think now is the time to slip away." Kazu commented, pulling Kenta back. "They're looking for us!"

"Maybe they're on our side Kazu!" Kenta, annoyed, shook Kazu off. "Let's ask them!"

Takato bit his lip. "We might as well. They know about us anyway."

Kazu sighed. "Oh alrgiht. "But if they're the enemy…"

"Right, right, you'll blame me." Takato rolled his eyes, and stepped up. "Yes we're digidestined," he said with more confidence than he felt. "What are you going to do about it?"

The one called Matt left Kari alone, and turned back to face Takato with a shocked expression. "You are?" he asked.

"See?" the girl with brown and pink hair beamed. "I told you we'd find someone!"

"Mimi was right Matt." The other boy, who looked like he was Takato's age, but was taller than Matt, spoke up. He stepped forward and bowed. "I'm TK." He said. "we're digidestined too. We've been sent to find you, so that we can hide. We have a hideout. We don't know who the enemy is, but we know we have to stick together. That means you have to come too."

Matt grumbled something under his voice, but shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Have to?" Kazu demanded, stepping forward. "You're dealing with a top Tamer here. You should ask me nicely."

"Cut it out Kaz," Takato rolled his eyes again. "I'm Takato. We're waiting for the rest of us."

"How many of you are there?"

"Eight?" Takato asked himself. He wasn't even sure. "Henry, Suzie, Rika, Ryo, Kazu, Kenta, Jeri, me. Yeah, eight."

"That's a lot…" Mimi, the older girl exclaimed. "I had no idea there were than many of you!"

"Um…yeah." Takato fidgeted. "How many of you guys are there?"

"14, I think."

"That's a lot!" Kenta exclaimed. "Wow!"

Kazu just stared suspiciously at Matt.

"How long will we have to wait?" Kari, the younger girl asked. She looked worried. "One of our friends are missing."

"I don't know. I can't get a hold of Rika or Ryo." Takato sighed. "I don't know how long it'll take."

"Well, Henry's here. Look." Kenta pointed across the street, where Henry was waiting for the cross light.

"That's good. But why isn't Suzie with him?" Kazu frowned. "Did something happen?"

"Oh. No. I forgot. Suzie is at the digital world."

"What? No fair!" Kazu sulked. "I want to go back too!"

"Well, we can't. We're in danger. We'd only make things worse there."

Matt raised his eyebrows. "What, you guys have been there too?"

"Yes?" Takato raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that what it means to be a digidestined? You go to the digi-world to save the day?" he chuckled at his own jest. "Sorry. It still seems kind of weird to me. I am still trying to get over our last battle with the D-reaper."

Kazu and Kenta shivered.

"Sorry I'm late." Henry walked up. "Who are these guys?"

Takato sighed, "Well, they're digidestined. And they have a hideout. We have to stick together, they say."

"Which we already know…" Henry glanced at the four other digidestined. "How good is their hideout?"

TK grinned. "Government level."

Henry looked surprised. "That's nice…"

"Let's just hope everyone gets here in time." Takato looked around. When oh when where they going to get here?

(------)

Tai stared at the clearing around him, fascinated. "This place is so enclosed, I didn't even know it existed! It says people aren't aloud over here too, that there's dangerous construction going on but…I don't see anything…."

Kouichi was searching around for a clue, while Zaiev the dog was whining and sniffing the ground. Zoe walked next to Kouichi, trying to be comforting, and Yolei followed her. Tai could see that Yolei was seeing Zoe as competition to get Kouichi's attention, and was not hesitating to compete with her. It was kind of amusing.

"Are you sure this is where Davis went?" Sora asked. "I don't see anything."

"Yes." Zoe sighed. "But he could have left…"

Tai leaned against a tree. "I'm tired. And hungry. We should head back."

"You're always thinking of your stomach," Sora scolded. "This is serious. We're really close to something here!"

"And maybe we're in danger! We should go back!"

"Well I think…" Sora stopped talking, and walked towards Tai with a curious expression on her face. "What in the world…." She picked something out from the tree next to Tai's head, and stated at it. It was Davis' new digital video camera.

Tai nearly jumped for joy. "Rewind it!" he ordered. "Maybe we can see what happened!" At these words, Tai suddenly found everyone standing around him. They all wanted to see what had happened.

When it was rewound, Sora pushed play, and they watched it intently. Davis spent half of the time talking to himself about how he was going to prove he was right, and then shut up. That was when they saw the guy with the gun holding somebody and walking into the clearing.

Zaiev growled maliciously and barked several times. "Is that the guy who…" Kouichi didn't get to finish, because the dog was already confirming it.

"Kouichi!" Zoe shrieked, as the captive that Kouji's shooter had been carrying suddenly woke up. "It's Takuya!"

Kouichi stared in horror at the screen, as a ship suddenly appeared. Sure enough, there was Takuya, being forced to go onto the ship.

"It was a ship…" Tai whispered. He couldn't believe it. "So Davis was right!"

"What happens next?" Yolei asked. She practically squealed with nervousness. It was kind of annoying.

"We're waching!" Sora complained. So they shut up and watched. There was no sound, until finally Davis' voice cut in.

"I sure wish I had a better idea than this!" Davis whispered. And then a large rock flew out of no where and hit the enemy on the hit.

Tai nodded. "Nice shot," he praised. "That was impressive."

Davis ran out of his hiding spot toward the captive, and the two talked for a minute. They began walking toward the trees to escape, unaware that the enemy was angrily standing up and whipping out a gun. With a swift movement, he pointed the gun at Davis' back, and whispered something in his ear. Seconds later, he whacked Davis on the head, and carried him into the ship, forcing Takuya to come along. Two minutes later, the ship took off, leaving the atmosphere into space. And then there was nothing.

Tai let out his breath, realizing that he had been holding it. "Well…" he whispered. "It looks like we know several things now. We know where Davis is, and we know who that enemy is."

Yolei brushed a tear from her eyes and tried to stop shaking. "He was right all along!" she said shakily. "And now he's gone!"

"And…Takuya!" Zoe looked shocked. Here eyes were wide, and she looked like she was about to faint. But the look passed, soon to be replaced with a look of anger. "Whoever these aliens are, they are going to pay!" she hissed.

Kouichi nodded. "But first, lets get out of here. I'd hate to be caught unawares."

"Me too. Let's go. Quickly!" Tai led them away, taking Davis' camera with him.

(------)

McDowen drew in a breath, taking his time. He waited until the soldiers had locked the prisoner on the table, and then turned around. He faced his captive, an amused sneer on his face. "Welcome," He announced.

Davis gulped, and glared at him. "What kind of welcome is this?" he asked, struggling against the metal clasps that bound him to the cold metal table. His shirt had been ripped off of him, and his arms still hurt from being dragged onto the table and held down while they locked him in. He didn't know what they were going to do to him to find out what they wanted to know.

"I welcome as I want," McDowen replied, pacing around the table slowly. Eventually, he stopped, next to a tray of odd items that had been prepared for him.

Davis tried to get a look at them, but he couldn't see them from where he was lying. He knew something bad was going to happen to him, and he didn't like that they weren't telling him. It made it so much worse. "What are you going to do to me?" he asked, gulping. "Can't we just…talk?"

"We already tried that, didn't we? And you refuse to talk."

"Well…" he didn't know what else to say. "Maybe I'll talk if you _don't _do anything to me!"

No answer.

Davis felt sweat beginning to form on his forehead. He didn't like this cold silence. He didn't like being strapped down on a cold metal table. And he absolutely hated not knowing what was going to happen. "What are you going to do to me?" he begged.

McDowen lifted a syringe, filled with a deep reddish brown, watery liquid, and turned to face Davis with a cold sneer.

"One drop of this formula is enough to stimulate all of your pain receptors, and fill your entire body with pain that feels like a thousand needles puncturing your skin, over and over and over, until you can't take it any longer. And still it continues, for at least three hours." His sneer widened into a smirk of one who was used to inflicting pain on helpless individuals. "You, however, are about to be injected with about a teaspoon of it. That's just about enough to enflame every single nerve in your body so that even a simple touch," he ran his finger along Davis' cheek seductively, "…is more painful than the pain one drop can inflict upon you. But that's not the end either. If injected right into the heart…" he positioned the needle right over Davis' heart, his smirk vanishing into a cold look of malicious determination, "…it will course through your blood vessels so that the pain will steadily increase for about ten hours until it final runs out. And even then, the pain continues. It causes your very blood to boil in your veins. It's not a very pleasant experience."

Davis struggled against the metal clasps, sweating and pleading for mercy. "Please…" he begged, "I'll talk, I swear! Just please don't do anything to me! Please!" Whatever determination he had had about staying silent suddenly flew out the window. He didn't want to experience anything of the sort. "Please…" he whispered. "I swear! I'll talk!"

McDowen glared at him coldly, eyeing him with an evil expression. "You'd better," he snarled. "Now I'm going to ask you one last time. Where are the digidestined hiding?"

(------)

**Wow. Can you believe that I did that? I'm so twisted sometimes. How do I come up with these things? Seriously.**

**Well, I love cliffhangers. I hope you do too, because that is one of the best cliffhangers I have ever done I think. Lol. I'm a dork.**

**PLEASE read and review. I'd appreciate it!**

**-rika195**


	8. Chapter 8

Hi everyone! Here I am! Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you'll like what I'm doing with this story, and I hope you'll forgive me for what I am going to do to the characters, but it just had to be. Don't ask why. Sometimes, the story pops in your head and you have to write it down. Such is the case with this one.

And thank you to the three people who actually reviewed. You guys are such awesome people. Here, I'll write you little replies.

**Kouzumi93**: Wha….WHAT? KILL DAVIS? Wow. I sense some serious…um….dislike over here. Heh heh. (No way, as if I couldn't tell) Well Kouzumi, I'm really sorry. I can't kill him. I'm a goggle boy fan. Always have been. So I love Davis. I just wish I could do him justice. I hope what he's about to experience will suffice for you in place of his death. Cuz he's not going to die. Not in this story. Like you said, I'll leave that to you.

**Angel Born of Darkness**: Lol. Not all the time, but yes, sometimes I can be twisted. One of my friends once said, "I like seeing my favorite characters get hurt, cuz it makes em hotter." She was talking about some guy in a movie, but the same concept kind of applies. I like doing stuff to hurt some of my favorite characters, cuz for some strange reason it always makes em cooler. It makes them either more real, or makes me appreciate em better. I dunno. I can't explain it the right way, so why am I trying? But I guess it's hard to tell the difference between hurting a character because you like him, and hurting a character cuz you hate him. I have a hard time distinguishing that sometimes. You know?

**Black Peeches: **Hi Tay-nith! Wazzup? I'm so honored that you read this story. Hee hee. Do you really like it? I;m glad. It gets really complicated, so I hope you can understand everything. You don't mind it being Sci-fi do you? Heh. Well, I have to write at least one Sci-fi Digimon story. Dann is coming soon. Hee hee. I can't wait. Of course, probably people will hate him like they hate all other OC's. But if ever you post a story with Mena, I'll be the first to review it. yay! I love Mena. (Dann thinks she's cute) Anyway...Talk to you soon I hope!

Keep reading, and keep reviewing. And don't be freaked out by that…..above. I am not as weird as….well maybe I am but…..oh well. It's fiction. I'll hide behind that.

(------)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Digimon. I do not own Rem. I can't do her justice.

**I Own**: Aim, NW…….. other stuff.

**Note**: Digimon rocks, and Davis isn't dying. Live with it. (lol)

(------)

Tai slammed his hand down on the monitor of the computer Izzy was working on, startling his friend out of a trance. The big, bushy-haired teenager grinned slightly at his own practical joke, and then tried to get serious again. "We found the truth," Tai stated simply. To his surprise, Izzy winced. "What's that face for?"

Izzy tried to smile, and simply winced again instead. "You'll see," he whispered. "Where is Matt's group?"

"Not here yet, obviously." Tai handed his friend the camera in his hands, and sat down between Ken and Izzy. "Can you hook this up to the computer?"

"Of course I can!" Izzy rolled his eyes and got to work. "This is Davis' camera, isn't it?"

Tai started in surprise, his eyebrows raised. "Yeah! How did you know?"

Izzy grinned slightly as he hooked the camera to the computer. "He asked me what was the best camera to get, and I recommended this one. It's the best you can get short of government issue. Personally, I'm surprised he raised the money to get it."

"Uh huh…" Tai shrugged. He didn't care that much. "Well, it's got some startling information on it."

"Like what?"

"We'll play it when everyone else arrives. For now, just rewind it."

Izzy gave Tai one of his annoyed, almost teacher-like looks. "Tai, it's a _digital _camera."

"So?"

"You don't have to rewind when you upload it to the computer."

Tai shrugged carelessly. "So I made a mistake. Big deal. Ours isn't digital…." He stood up and turned to Kouichi and Zoe. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Izzy. He's the brains we can rely on in our group. Even though I'm the leader. He's the one who got us this place."

Zoe stared around her awkwardly. "Wow…..um…..it's…..big. Down here. Very….unusual."

"Nah, it's perfect, just so long as we don't get in trouble for using it."

Izzy "pfft" and waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, we wont. Trust me. Besides, we're saving the world again. The government can live with that. And who are these guys? Digidestined I presume?"

"I'm Izumi Orimoto, but you can call me Zoe." The blonde-haired girl smiled pleasantly, and gave a small bow.

"I'm Kouichi Kimura," Kouichi bowed too. "And this is my brother's dog, Zaiev."

Izzy stared at the dog nervously. "Does he bite?"

"He's a dog. Of course he can bite." Kouichi looked so serious, that Tai almost cracked up laughing. But a small smirk underneath Kouichi's serious expression gave testimony that he was just teasing Izzy.

Izzy sighed, distressed. He didn't catch the joke. "No, I mean, will he bite me? I kinda have this thing with dogs…. Why is he down here?"

"Because he can identify the enemy." Kouichi glanced at the dog. "This dog has been with Kouji for as long as he can remember, and with it I intend to find Kouji. He's a guard dog, so if we're attacked, he can protect us. He'll protect me…" Kouichi patted the dog lovingly.

Izzy rolled his eyes. "A dog…" he muttered to himself. "Perfect. Oh, loveable dogs. There always has to be a dog in the story. Jump Fido! You can make it! Oh Lassie, come home. Gosh, why does there have to be one in this story?"

Tai stared at Izzy with a quizzical expression, and rolled his eyes. "Just ignore him," he told Kouichi under his breath. "He just doesn't like dogs."

Kouichi simply shrugged.

"And who are you?" Zoe had noticed the quiet young teenager sitting silently next to Tai, brooding. Of course, Tai thought. The girls always notice Ken. He never failed to attract attention, even when he wanted to disappear.

Ken seemed to snap out of a daze, and pasted on a smile he obviously didn't feel. His left eye squinting was a big hint that he was thinking about something very hard. "I'm Ken," he said softly. "Nice to meet you." Tai wondered what he was thinking about. Usually, he being so smart and all, he didn't have to think about something for very long. But obviously, some mystery or other had attracted all of his attention.

"Earth to Ken!" Tai grinned, waving his hand in front of the younger boy's face. "You know, you need to be aware of what's going on around you. We've got important information to tell everyone you know."

Ken looked annoyed, and sighed dismissively. "I am quite aware of what's going on Tai. Usually listening is what you're supposed to do when people are talking. Or maybe you like interrupting better," he snapped.

Tai shrugged good-naturedly. "It has its advantages."

"Well, there are people to talk, and people to listen. And I am a listener."

"You are now…. But what happened to that leader side of you? Where did he go after all these years?" Tai grinned at him.

Ken glared at him, much to Tai's surprise. "He died with the Kaizer," he snapped at the older teen in irritation.

Hastily he stood up, and walked to the back of the room. Then he came back. "I'm sorry," he sighed, staring at Tai's silent and surprised face. "I don't know why I said that. There's just something that doesn't make sense, and it's bugging me."

Tai shrugged. "Just don't take it out on us Ken. You're still scary you know? When you want to be, you can be dangerous. We just don't want to get hurt." Tai grinned at Ken's shocked face. "I'm teasing," he clarified. Ken sighed in annoyance. "I know, I know, you can't take it right now. Sorry."

"Maybe in a little bit," Ken sighed, sitting down. "Davis usually warms me into a teasing mood."

"Davis wont be coming back," Yolei stated hesitantly. All eyes turned toward her, standing quietly next to Kouichi.

Ken frowned. "What do you mean?"

Tai grinned nervously. "Ah yes….let's wait till Matt's group arrives. Okay?"

(------)

Ryo stared at the familiar bakery, and breathed a sigh of relief. He was really home. After so many years of being in the weirdest places, he had finally come back to Earth. His home. His friends. Ah, what a relief.

He winced, and then hurried toward the bakery where he knew Takato would be waiting with everyone else. He had to tell them the disaster that was approaching. He had to warn them before it was too late. They had absolutely no idea what they were up against, or how quickly it was happening.

He was panting when he made it to the front of the shop. Hanging upside down for hours, and then running non-stop for three miles—well, that wasn't true. He had to stop several times—but anyway, going all that way was tiring, and now he was exhausted. He leaned against his knees panting, unaware of the people around him for several minutes. Then he looked up.

Takato. It had to be him. His chocolate-brown hair was still slightly shaggy, and hanging around his delicate face like usual. His eyes were full of life. The look he carried was more thoughtful and mature than the one he carried the last time Ryo had seen him. But the way he squinted his eyes, cocked his head and asked "Are you alright?" was the same as always.

Ryo grinned and straightened up. "Hi," he replied.

Takato smiled in return. "That doesn't answer my question, but that's alright. You're late you know. And we don't have any time to spare."

"I know," Ryo sighed. "I have really bad news, and it's very important. I have to tell everyone right away. And you guys are not going to want to hear it."

"And what might that be?" Henry asked. It had to be Henry. He was much taller, and his hair was darker. He looked almost more Chinese than Japanese, which was a change compared to last time. And his eyes had gotten narrower, and more defined. They shined brighter than anyone's Ryo had ever seen. They were full of life and determination.

Ryo shook his head, distracting himself from his thoughts. _What's with me? _He thought. _I keep analyzing them. I have to cut it out. _He smiled a greeting at Henry and shrugged. "I guess you could say I know what the problem is."

Takato frowned. "You know what's going on?"

Ryo nodded, a distressed expression on his face. "Yes," he said regretfully. "I'm afraid I do. And you're not going to like it."

"Well then," A tall, blonde-haired teenager walked up to Ryo. He was a stranger, someone Ryo had never seen before. Or wait… _had _he met him before? He looked incredibly familiar somehow. "If you'll come with us to the hideout, you can tell ALL of us what the problem is, and what we have to do."

Ryo stared at him thoughtfully, trying decide whether to trust him or not. He glanced at Takato and Henry, Kazu and Kenta, and Jeri, and noticed that they didn't seem to have a problem with this stranger. That usually meant he could trust him. Ryo considered himself a careful person, and didn't jump into any situation before thinking it through carefully.

And after a quick thinking job, he decided to trust them. After all. They carried D-arcs. They had to be digidestined. "Right," he said quickly. "Then lets hurry. They've sent their best out after us."

The tall blonde narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What do you mean by 'they've sent out their best after us?' Who sent out who?"

Ryo gulped. "I'll tell you as soon as we're safe. Let's go."

"Wait! What about Rika?" Henry jumped in. He looked around. "We have to wait for her!"

Ryo started, and dropped his mouth open. "Oh no!" he exclaimed. His tone worried everyone. It even worried himself. But that might be because he knew what it meant. "I forgot," he stuttered. "She was talking to me when…when something happened." He looked down. "I think they got her, but….I don't know. I blacked out."

Takato narrowed his eyes. "You blacked….wait…what? What happened? Who got her?"

"Later. Let's get out of here before they get us too."

That seriously freaked everyone out, and within seconds they were hurrying along with the tall blonde and his group toward the hideout.

(------)

Those eyes staring down into his were so cold…so heartless. Davis swallowed the lump in his throat, aware that he was shaking visibly with fear. He didn't know if the General was telling the truth or not, but he didn't want to find out.

_I can't tell him though! I can't! If I do tell him where everyone is hiding, he'll just capture them and do the same to them anyway! I'd be condemning them to torture and death! _Davis' will, whatever was left of it, attempted to solidify. However, he was too freaked out of his wits to stand up to torture. He just couldn't do it.

"Let me ask you one last time…" the General snarled. His voice had a cold hard edge to it, like a sharp knife scraping against Davis' skin. "Where are the digidestined hiding?"

He coughed, whimpered, and started crying. He was freaked to death, shaking with terror, and fighting with himself. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He couldn't tell, even if he wanted to. But did he want to? What if McDowen was lying? What if they tortured him anyway? Then what would be the use of telling? He'd get the same thing no matter what.

_But, they might torture you longer if you don't tell, _his brain informed him. He panicked, stuttered a few things that didn't make sense, and tried to calm down. He was bound to get himself tortured at this rate. By the look in the General's eyes, he didn't have much longer before he went ahead and injected that stuff into him.

"General?" Someone stepping into the chamber broke the tension filling the room.

"What is it Johnson?" McDowen growled angrily. He continued to glare relentlessly into Davis' wide and panick-stricken eyes.

"We have a problem with the girl."

This seemed to get to the General, and he turned away from his victim. "What kind of problem?"

Johnson hesitated, and from where Davis was lying, looked like he was nervous about telling. "She's gone."

The General left Davis lying on the table, and walked over to this Johnson person. "What do you mean gone?" he demanded.

Johnson shook his head. "We don't know, but we're looking into it. We'll have her found in time."

"How did she escape the cell?"

"She was taken out to use the facilities. We thought she was harmless. She looked like she was still in shock, and needed to throw up."

"A fine excuse indeed!" Furious, General McDowen marched out of the room, followed by Johnson. They left Davis lying on the table.

Davis let out his breath in a shaky sigh, realizing he'd been holding his breath. He was alright for now. He hadn't told them, and he hadn't gotten tortured. For a few minutes, he could relax. But then what?

He secretly hoped that this girl, whoever she was, would continue to attract all their attention. That way, he could harden his will again to figure out what to do.

Ah yes, what to do. He couldn't let the others suffer like he was most likely going to. He couldn't betray them! He was Davis Motomiya! Leader of Digidestined! He did not back down for anyone or anything! Not even torture!

"Oh boy," he sighed, wishing he could wipe the shameful tears off his face. "I'm not going to be able to do it."

(------)

Rika grinned, congratulating herself on her so far successful escape. How she managed to do it, she still didn't know. But it had worked. By convincing them to let her use the rest room to supposedly throw up and stuff, she had gotten out of the cell. Once in the restroom, she had to apply quick thinking to climb up the toilet and the sink to get into the ceiling. It was a lucky break for her that one of the metal panels on the ceiling had empty space behind it. Somehow, she still wasn't quite sure how, she had managed to use her D-arc to get the panel open so she could pull herself up into the ceiling and close the panel again.

So here she was. Whatever digital inner-working of the D-arc that was still working had saved her by doing….whatever it did. It simply flashed something, and loosened the panel. It was almost to easy. Now she had to bolt the panel back down so that they wouldn't find how she'd escape, and crawl to a better hiding spot.

Still, this wouldn't last. They'd find her for sure. This was their station. And she didn't know all the places they knew. For all she knew, they could be monitoring her right now, and getting ready to shoot her dead. And just how was she supposed to get home now? Or save Kouji?

_Think Rika! _She told herself, slowing her breathing down so they wouldn't hear her. _There's got to be something you can do. _And then it hit her. Her D-arc! If it was acting up again, that usually meant that she was near something digital…some digital energy source! If she could get close to it, maybe she could use her D-arc to conjure up a map of the station and…. She shook her head. _This is way too convenient, _she sighed. _It can't be as easy as all that. _

But she decided to try it anyway. Just so long as she stayed quiet, she might make it. And if she got caught, she'd have to find out a way to not let her D-arc get confiscated.

_Oh man. I think this is going to be pretty difficult. _

(------)

Kouji lifted his head as the door to his cell opened. It may look like a room to an ignorant individual, but he could tell that it was a cell just by that fact that there were no windows, and no door handle. He was distracted from his mind roaming when the door opened and three men walked in.

He looked up, giving them his best Kouji glare and waited for them to say something.

"Your leg feeling better?" One of them asked. He had higher credentials than the other two, who looked like they were just there as security. "It should be."

Kouji sneered at him. "When am I going to get out of here?"

The man returned the sneer. "You aren't."

"Then what now?"

"You're coming with us." He pointed to Kouji, and the two security next to him grabbed their captive ruthlessly. "We have a problem with our mission, and we need someone like _you _to fix it."

"Excuse me?" Kouji exclaimed, struggling against their hold. They dragged him out the door and down the hall. He tried to keep up, but he couldn't very well because of his leg. It still hurt. "What do you mean your mission? What mission? And what do you want me to do?" He used a martial arts trick to slip out of their hands and step back, holding himself up straight like he was offended at their treatment of him. "I can walk myself! I'm not stupid, meaning I can't and wont run away. Where would I go anyway? And I have two feet. I can use them." He glared at them defiantly. "Tell me what's going on. I believe I have a right to know!"

The man with the credentials shook his head and chuckled. "You are different, aren't you? What, are you a rich kid or something?" He noticed how offended and shocked Kouji looked at that remark, and chuckled again. "You act like one. Now as for rights, you have none. And as for feet, you may have two, but using them is a privilege. Furthermore, if I say you walk, you can walk. But if I say not, then I'll have these fellows here drag you."

Kouji rolled his eyes. If anyone was stuck up, or cocky, or ridiculous, it was this guy. He acted like the world aught to belong to him. It was promptly annoying. Kouji stuck his hands in his pockets, staring at him with a leveling stare. "If anyone acts like a rich kid, it's you."

"Get moving. We don't have time." The man snapped. He wasn't amused anymore with Kouji's rebellious attitude. He walked off, ordering the security to "bring him" and muttered something about Kouji's being Japanese. The remark was offensive, and Kouji wished he could knock the daylights out of him for it.

"To think that I have to stand for this," he muttered, shoving off the security and walking by himself. "It's ridiculous." He wondered what kind of mission they were talking about, and was sure he wouldn't like it. After all, if anyone were the bad guys, it would be these guys.

He found himself walking into a dark room, and stopped momentarily to look around. The security behind him didn't give him a chance, and pushed him forward to the center of the room. It looked like a huge NASA computer room, and all the work stations were facing toward a large window that opened out to the stars. There was an isle down the center of the room, where Kouji was standing now. He looked out the window, and gaped in sudden awe. There, centered in the middle of the window, was Earth.

He was looking at Earth from space. The concept blew him away, and he could hardly think as he was dragged to one of the computers and sat down in a chair. But he quickly snapped out of the daze. He had to know what was going on.

"What…." He didn't get to finish his question before he was held down to the chair and given a shot in the neck. He winced, shocked, and tried to figure out what just happened. A shot? This was too much like one of those movies where…where….He blinked. Where what? He couldn't hardly think. What was going on here? He stared bleary-eyed at the man who had given him the shot, trying to focus. "You….drugged me," he said eventually. "Why?"

The man grinned. "We have a problem with our mission. And we need your cooperation."

Kouji nodded slowly. Yes. They needed his cooperation. Okay. He shook himself. His cooperation? No way! "No," he said as firmly as he could. "No I wont."

"You wont what?"

Kouji blinked. Good question. What wasn't he going to do? _Help them. I can't help them. Get a grip on yourself Kouji! _"I wont….help…you."

The man's face hardened into a look of annoyance, and he stood up. "We'll see," he snapped. He pointed to the computer screen in front of Kouji. "Look at that."

Kouji did. He turned his head to look at the screen, still trying to figure out what was going on. He blinked several times, looked closer, and then it hit him what he was looking at. "It's the digital world," he said out loud. Something in the back of his head warned him that he had just said something wrong, but he couldn't figure out why. _What am I doing wrong? _He thought. _What is it I'm not supposed to say?_

"Really? Have you ever been there?"

There was that warning again, at the back of his head! Kouji closed his eyes, trying to concentrate. Something was lingering at the edge of his mind, and he grasped for it mentally, trying hard to think about it. After a long moment of complete silence, the man asked him again.

"Have you been there before?"

The memory he was trying to find crept back into his mind slowly. He was looking at Takuya. The two of them were in a cave, talking. _This isn't a game Takuya! _The words rang in his mind as if he were saying them right at this moment. _Quit treating it like one! The good guys don't just automatically win! _

"Answer me!" A slap to the face knocked him back to reality. This drug, whatever it was, was doing weird things to him. "Have you been there?"

"No," Kouji lied. _It's not a game…_ Why was this memory so important? Why did he just lie? He wasn't supposed to lie… But he did. Why? What was this feeling that made him want to tell the truth automatically without thinking? _The good guys don't automatically win…._

"No?" he frowned. But moved on. "Where is it?"

Kouji pointed to the screen. "Right there."

"Where is it in space?"

Kouji turned to him, smiling. _It's not a game…it's a battle. And I am going to win. _"Space?" he asked. "Are we in space? Is it real? Or is this all a fake?"

The man exchanged glances with someone else. "This isn't working," the other whispered to him. "Just how much did you give him?"

"Is there a problem here?" The General who Kouji had first met when he got brought here walked up, looking extremely vexed. "What's going on?"

"We're having trouble locating the 'digital world' sir. But I have reason to believe this boy can help us."

"How?"

"I think he's been there."

"And you injected him with truth serum? How much?"

"Well…"

"And what did he say?"

Kouji started laughing, and leaned against his chair. He felt so….free…like he could say anything he wanted. He had no restraints now from saying what he wanted when he felt like it. He could tell the truth without fear! _But no…. _ he thought. _I will tell them what I want to tell them. I'll tell them nothing about the digital world. _The General looked at him with an annoyed expression. Kouji pointed to him. "You are the enemy," he stated. "And I am against you. What makes you think I'll do anything to help you?"

The General turned back to the man who had given Kouji the serum. "How much did you give him?"

"Have you been to the digital world?" the man asked Kouji quickly, desperately. He didn't want to look bad, and it was obvious.

"Ye…no." Kouji answered quickly. He closed his eyes and tried to think. _Not helping them. Not telling them. Remember that! _As long as he talked quickly, he told the truth. So he had to talk slowly. "No, no, no, no, no, no. Go away." He pulled his legs up onto the chair and tried to get comfortable. "Leave me alone."

The General groaned. "Next time, I'll do it. You don't know what you're doing." The man stiffened angrily. "If you want something to do, go play with the other captive. He's scheduled for physical interrogation. He wont talk."

The man brightened at that prospect. Somehow, Kouji figured that "physical interrogation" was not something to look forward to, if he were in the position of the one being interrogated. "Who's being interrogated?" he asked.

"Take this kid to his cell. Put him to sleep or something." The General ordered, sending Kouji with the two security back to his cell.

Kouji felt disorientated, and said nothing as they dragged him back to his cell of a room, and again said nothing as they threw him in. It was only after he had crawled onto the bed and started staring at the ceiling that he began to try and think about what had just happened.

"Strange…" he muttered, his eyes closing. "I can't remember….man….I feel awful…I feel like…." He didn't finish because he fell asleep.

(------)

Rem stared at the group of teenagers that hurried off with the tall blonde. There was something about them that seemed…well…different from everyone else. It was like there was something that made them stand out more than any other average person. It was like there was a bright light shining behind each one of them so that they were glowing slightly.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. Yeah right, as if that could ever happen. She looked again, and saw them hurrying through crowds so that they could lose followers. She chuckled. "Can't lose me," she thought. "I've been trained too well." She followed them at a distance. Besides, they seemed to glow brighter than anyone around them. It was like a dead giveaway.

Who were these guys anyway? She felt like she knew, even though she didn't. It was like she'd met them all before. Either that, or it felt like she could trust them if she ever needed the help. "But would they trust me and help me?" she wondered. Something at the back of her mind assured her. Yes, they would. Because that's what they were.

And so she followed them. Yes she was supposed to be going back to do her Bounty Hunter training with her father. Yes she was supposed to bring the disc back. But these kids were like magnets. To coin a phrase, she felt like the month chasing after the flame. It was a scary feeling. She had no idea what she was getting herself into.

But she knew that she had the training to keep herself together. After all, she was Rem. And Rem could do anything she put her mind to, right? She sighed. Well, almost anything. She hurried after the group of people she was following, and followed them into a building. It was clear to see that this business building was probably government controlled. So it should be a safe place to hide right? At least for these kids. She followed them down steps toward an elevator, and sighed in annoyance as they stepped onto it. So, when no one was looking, she opened the elevator doors and slipped down the wire to the elevetor. When she was sure they were out, at the Basement level, she opened the top hatch and slipped inside. Before the doors closed, she hurried out, and followed them as stealthily as she could.

For a split second, it looked like Ryo, the one she had saved and followed, had heard her, but he ignored her. Did he know she was there? Or did he just turn his head like that to listen for something?

_He probably knows someone is following, just not that it's me. And if he does, he'll wait till I get close and then rend me unconscious or something. Or maybe he doesn't know I'm here. _She made sure that her breathing was so quiet even she couldn't hear it, and made her footsteps even more soundless than they already were.

Then Ryo stopped walking. The others turned to him questioningly, but he remained rooted to the spot. Rem suddenly felt not so good about herself. _He did figure out that I was following him, _she thought. And for some reason, she felt afraid. Even though she carried weapons and bullet-proof vest, she was afraid. What would he do? She didn't know. But she figured that the only thing she could do was play ally.

"Come out," Ryo said firmly. His voice had a dangerous edge to it, and he spoke with so much authority that she guiltily came out of hiding. He stared at her with a shocked but annoyed expression, and then crossed his arms. "You?" he asked. "I thought we were done. What do you want? To criticize me some more?"

Rem rolled her eyes. "Of course not. That's stupid."

He simply glared at her. The others with him stared warily and angrily at her, as if she was some kind of enemy to them. "Then why are you here?" Ryo asked.

Rem brushed her suit clean of some non-existent dirt or something and shrugged. Honestly, she had no idea. She just did. It was because she was drawn to them somehow. And she didn't know why. But should she tell them that? Probably not. "I was just curious. I followed you into town because I didn't know where to go, and then followed you after that just because. I dunno. I can leave now."

"I don't think so," the blonde cut in. He looked extremely suspicious. "I think we should blindfold her, knock her out, and take her with us to ask her questions."

Rem raised an eyebrow. "And why on earth would you want to do that?"

Ryo cut in. "Why are you here bounty hunter? What is your mission? Who sent you?"

Rem laughed, startling all of them. "Mission?" she asked. She chuckled again. "My mission: to complete bounty hunter training. Avoid contact with outside world at all costs. Who sent me on this mission? My father. Why am I here? Because the mission is stupid and I'm doing what I want to."

"So you're a rebellious child who needs a spanking?" the blonde asked, rolling his eyes. "What is this mission stuff?"

Rem shrugged. "You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

"Try me."

"Please don't," Ryo interrupted. He was glaring at Rem evenly, obviously studying her. "I know enough about bounty hunters to decide what to do. And anyway, you can't knock her out and kidnap her. That's virtually impossible. But you can get her in a position where she's helpless." He walked forward towards her slowly, his blank expression and unblinking eyes giving her an uneasy feeling.

"And how would you plan to do that? I could take you out in a split second." Rem stiffened, ready to protect herself if he tried to attack her.

"No, I'm not going to attack you, Rem." He smiled sweetly at her, and that freaked her out. "I'm going to call your father."

Rem frowned. "What? Why? You don't even know the number!"

"Why? Because I know that you are telling the truth when you say that you are disobeying his orders by following me. How? Remember that disc?" he pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and grinned at her horrified face. "I did read it, just out of curiosity. And I happen to have the contact numbers that were on it."

Rem glared at him hatefully. "You wouldn't," she growled.

"Tell my why you're following me, really, and maybe I wont." He pushed a couple buttons, slowly dialing out her father's cell phone numbedr.

Rem panicked. "Don't," she pleaded. "I'll tell you! Sheesh! I was just following you guys because…well….you stand out. I don't even know why! I was just drawn to follow you. I couldn't help it!"

Ryo cocked his head. "oh really? That's an interesting story.

"It's true! I swear!"

He finished dialing the number, but waiting to click the talk button. "Takato, what do you think?" he asked.

Takato, a brown-haired boy about Ryo's age shrugged. "Ask Matt."

"Matt?"

Matt was the blonde, who seemed to be the leader of the group. He stated at Rem suspiciously. "Why were you 'drawn' to follow us?"

Rem shrugged. This was stupid. "I don't know. I just…..did. And anyway, you guys looked like you were glowing or something. It interested me."

"Glowing?" Matt looked dubious.

"Maybe she's a…" Takato started to say something, but thought better of it. "I think we should take her to question her."

Ryo nodded. "Well, alright. But I think you should let me watch her." He stared coldly at Rem before taking her arm into his mechanical hand and pulling her along. "Just blindfold her."

Rem tried not to complain as they did so. But it was so humiliating. How had she gotten herself into this? And why? And most importantly, now what?

(------)

Takuya stared at the room around him, and frowned in annoyance. "I don't like this," he stated to no one. With a dejected sigh, he threw himself on the small hard bed and stared at the security camera with an unblinking stare. He wondered if it bothered the people watching that he was staring straight out at them, and chuckled slightly.

But this situation was far from okay. He had been kidnapped in a spaceship by some dude named Aim, who kept whacking him on the head, and dropped him off at this weird space station. It was almost more than he could take in at once, and his mind was in turmoil. What was he supposed to make of all this?

"I wonder what Shinya's doing right now," he thought with a sigh. "I hope he's alright. I didn't give him much of an explanation, and sent him there without knowing what to do. But he'll survive. I did when I went anyway." He wondered what kind of digimon Shinya would end up getting, and wondered what the problem was. All he knew from the message he'd received was that Shinya had to go to the digital world, and Takuya had to make sure he got there safely.

And maybe this whole space thing was not just a hoax. Maybe it had something to do with the digital world.

Takuya realized he was staring thoughtfully at the camera with an expression of deep thinking, and wondered how ridiculous he looked. His kidnappers probably just thought he was an idiot.

"Puh," he whispered. "That's what everyone thinks. But I'm not." He stared at the camera blankly some more, and then frowned. "But now what do I do?" He tried to think of an answer to that question for a very long time.

(------)

Well, this is starting to get long. I'll just post this and write the next chapter. I wanted to write about Shinya, Tommy, Suzie, and the other two in the digital world, but that will have to wait. There are some important things coming up, and I hope that you all will be able to pick up on small details throughout the story because….They will be clues to the mystery later on.

**Keep reading and reviewing! I am honored if you do, and I am blessed. You who do are kind to me. Thank you! **

**I'll see you at chapter 9!**

**Rika195**


	9. Chapter 9

**I am so glad people are actually reading this story! Thank you! You have no idea how happy I am. My first story I ever wrote on here is not worthless! I never thought so, and I hope you'll think so too.**

**Lots of interesting things are going on here. I hope you can pick up on them all. Tanith knows more about this story that I think she even knows. Hehe. So she's ahead of you guys. Can you guess all the behind stories? Maybe. We'll see. Okay enough blabber. Lets get going.**

(------)

**black peeches**: Hehe. Hi Tanith. Of course there will be pain. Poor guy. I am having a hard time trying to decide whether I should follow the story how it's supposed to go, or change it. Hehe. What will happen? Dunno. I hope these readers don't hate him either. Dann is the greatest! Um…but you'll just have to hang on to your hat cuz he's not coming in just yet. Hehehehehehehe. But he will. They need him. Or he needs their help. Which one? You don't know yet. Bwa ha ha! And here it is. Finally. I know you've been waiting and pestering me for a while. Hehe. Thanks. I needed it.

**Miss Anonymous hp**: Glad you like it! And yeah, looks that way doesn't it. But he's always been a tough kid, that Davis. We'll see what happens. And as for Rika? She's got trouble up ahead too. And Ken? Hehe. Yeah he knows something. Or rather, he hopes he doesn't. He's a smart cookie after all. I'm so glad you think I did Kouichi right! I was working so hard to get everyone's characters right. It is super difficult sometimes. And yes, Matt and TK deserve good moments. I'll be sure to do that. Sort of inter-season pairings….but….it'll be a surprise. Hehe. Meaning I'll make you think it's one thing, then suddenly it's not. Bwa ha ha ha! I'll be evil. Jk. You'll see. That's why it's a surprise.

**Kouzumi93**: I am so glad you like it! I hope you will continue to read and review, because it is one of my favorite stories. It's just taking a while to actually get on the computer. Hehe. Thank you so much! Hope to talk to you soon!

**Angel Born of Darkness**: Yeah, they'll be seeing it on this one. They'll all have to humble themselves to believe Davis this time. But a lot is going to happen, so hang onto your hat cuz it's going to get pretty….um….wild. So bear with!

**Thank you everyone who reads this story but still doesn't review. I appreciate you reading it. I really do. But would it hurt just to say "I don't like this story" or even "it's okay?" I just want SOMETHING to know I'm not abandoned here! Hehe. Okay, now I'm too dramatic. Onto the story.**

(------)

**Disclaimer**: Everything to do with Digimon does not belong to me. I do not own Rem.

**I Own**: McDowen, Aim, NW, and anyone else that isn't from Digimon.

**Note**: Tanith, be patient. Dann will be here soon. Hehe.

(------)

Tai looked up just as Matt entered the room. He grinned thankfully, and then frowned. Only Matt had entered. "Where is everyone?" he asked urgently. He rushed forward, concerned.

"They're outside," Matt replied, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Chill man. They're fine. I just needed to talk to you first."

"I'm guessing something happened?" Tai asked, relaxing. At least everyone was alright. "Did you find more digidestined?"

"Yeah, but we also brought along someone else."

The look on Matt's face concerned Tai, and he was aware of everyone in the room leaning forward to catch what Matt had to say next. Tai cleared his throat and pulled his friend aside, out of listening ears' reach. "Brought someone else? You mean who's not a digidestined?"

"Well, I don't think so. She's pretty suspicious. I don't know if she's a spy or not, but she played right into our hands. She's either captured by us, or that's part of her plan." Matt frowned, looking so serious it scared Tai. It was still so hard to believe that things could get so bad. He didn't know what to expect. Especially after seeing Davis' footage. Matt continued explaining. "There is something strange about her. She says she was drawn to us, and that we were 'glowing' or something. I dunno. It's pretty suspicious. Should we let her in? She's blindfolded outside."

Tai bit his lip, worried. What if she was a spy? What if she was here to find them out and turn them in? They couldn't take that risk. "Listen," he said, lowering his voice. "We need to take her somewhere else for now. We can't meet here. She can't know about this place, because the risk is too great. Lets take her somewhere else, and pretend that's our hideout. Okay?"

Matt nodded, and then sighed. "Yeah I know, but where? I already thought about that. I had the others just keep walking around in circles to make her think we weren't at the hideout yet. But where do we go that is still safe?"

"I don't know," Tai groaned. "This is just way too complicated. If only we had help with this!"

"I know a good place," Izzy said suddenly, startling both of them. Somehow he had managed to walk up right next to them without either of them noticing. "It would be great, except its not as well hidden as this. It could be another hideout. It can be our pseudo hideout or something." He grinned at the two of them. "It's not too far. Here, I'll give you the directions, and then everyone will meet there. You sure she's blindfolded?"

"Oh I'm sure," Matt chuckled. "And tied up too. She didn't complain…..much……she just said we didn't have to treat her like that. She said she was a 'bounty hunter' or something and worked only for the people she wanted to, and tried to make sure we knew she wasn't against us. I don't trust her, but some of the others do."

"Then that's what we'll do. We can't take our chances because she knows the right things to say," Tai commented. "It's too dangerous. Okay so I'll get everything set up over there, and you go there on your own. Okay?"

Matt nodded, and walked out, leaving Tai and Izzy to stare at each other grimly. "This is quite a fix," Izzy pointed out. "If she is a spy, she's probably one of the best, and we're not doing a very good job. We need the government to help us out or something."

"Well, if you can arrange that, that'll be great. But for now, let's play it safe." Tai walked over to the others and broke up their conversations. They seemed to be waiting for him to tell them what to do. It was like they knew they'd be interrupted soon. The room went quiet, as all eyes turned toward him. It made him feel strange. He, Taichi Kamiya, was the one in charge. It was a scary feeling. What if he was doing the wrong thing? Would he ever know? "Come on everyone," he said, clearing his throat. "Let's go to our other hideout."

He had Izzy grab Davis' camera, and led the way out.

(------)

This is where I, the author, make a correction note. I used to write D-arc for the Tamer's digivice, but in truth it is called a D-power. I was wrong. So this is where I change it. When I have time I'll go back and edit my mistakes. But for now, I'll just suddenly switch from calling the Tamer's digivices D-arcs to D-powers. It's so confusing. Why don't I just say digivice?

I guess it's because they are all different. I call Season One's "**digivices**," Season Twos' "**D-3s**," Season Three's "**D-powers**," and Season Four's "**D-tectors**." Does that make sense? I hope so. Please forgive me for the interruption. And now back to the story.

(------)

Rika groaned inwardly, hating her situation even more than she had an hour ago. Somehow, for some reason, she had not been found. The infrared satellite map of this station had helped her with that. It showed her where every person was in the area. It was pretty cool. It showed her a labyrinth of passageways in the air-vents she could crawl around, and also when she needed to hide. But it did not show her what on earth she was supposed to do to get out! She couldn't stay trapped up here forever! It would kill her! Not to mention she was hungry!

"Think Rika," she thought to herself anxiously. "What is the most logical thing to do in this situation?" she shivered helplessly. "…Besides scream…" She pushed that thought out of her head. She was not going to scream! That would be the stupidest thing she'd ever do in her entire life! Besides singing in front of Takato that one time, of course… But really, what could she do? This was useless! She'd be trapped here forever, and it was all because of that _stupid _person called Aim! That jerk. Oh the things she'd put him through when she saw him again…

Wait…what was that? She glanced at her D-power, noticing a small blinking light in one of the rooms on the map. That was strange. What was that supposed to mean? Her D-power hummed in her hand, and then a familiar tracker popped onto the screen. For a second she stared at it in complete awe, and then she practically did scream.

"I know what that is," she whispered, hardly believing her own eyes. "But it can't be. That's impossible! Isn't it?" She grinned excitedly, and followed the tracker through the passageways for a long ways, until she was right over the place the tracker was leading her to. If her D-power wasn't lying, then right below her was…

"Renamon," she breathed, feeling something she hadn't felt for a long time. It was like a part of her that had been lost for a long time had just been found again. Could it possibly be true? It was almost impossible to hope but…..if it was then……she squeezed her eyes shut, wishing with all her might that it would be true. Now the only problem was getting down into that room without being seen.

And what room was she above anyway? Was Renamon captured to? Or was it simply a signal to a door to the digital world that would lead her to Renamon? Whatever it was, she had to get there. It was her only hope.

(------)

Shinya stared wide-eyed at the castle, still breathing heavily from the long climb up the stairs made of clouds. That particular climb had been increasingly annoying, because it felt like at any time he could have slipped through and fallen to his death. Not to mention Kariko had been talking non-stop about how beautiful it was. Sheesh. Did she ever shut up? And Jeremiah, all he did was complain. Thank goodness Tommy and Suzie were reasonable enough.

"So we're finally here?" Jeremiah complained. "Took long enough. Are you sure this was a good idea? This castle doesn't look very inviting…"

"It's beautiful! What are you talking about?" Kariko rolled her eyes and stepped up to the giant doors. "All we have to do is knock!" she rapped a couple times on the door, and waited.

Tommy fidgeted nervously, making Shinya nervous. "What is it Tommy?" Shinya asked quietly, stepped over to him. "You look like something is wrong."

Tommy grinned apologetically, and fidgeted even more. "Well…there is a problem."

Shinya groaned on the inside, but didn't want to show it. Jeremiah was annoying when he complained. Shinya didn't want to be annoying too. "What do you mean a problem? What kind of problem?"

"This isn't Ophanimon's castle."

"It isn't? Then whose is it?"

"It's Seraphimon's. I don't…." he sighed. "I don't remember where Ophanimon's castle is. Takuya always led the way." He stared at his feet guiltily, then looked up. "If Seraphimon is here, then we'll be alright. He can tell us where to go. But if not, then….then I don't have a clue what to do."

Shinya stared at him blankly, then looked back at the great big doors of Seraphimon's castle. "Well…" he sighed, "That just means it's going to take longer to figure out what the heck we're supposed to be doing."

"It always is that way," Tommy offered. It wasn't much help, so Shinya said nothing in return. They simply stood there, watching as Suzie and Kariko continued knocking and calling out for someone to open the door.

Finally, Shinya got bored. He pushed past them, walked up to the door, and pushed it open. It creaked on its hinges, but it opened nonetheless. The girls stared at him in shock, as if he was doing something terribly rude, but he ignored them and walked in. Thankfully, Tommy was right there with him. At least he wouldn't be totally alone on this trip to the digital world, this adventure in the unknown….

"You can't just walk in!" Kariko exclaimed. "It's so…"

"Rude?" Shinya asked, cutting in. "What if no one is here? What if they're all _dead_? Ever think of that?" He emphasized the word dead, and to his delight, it managed to shut her up. "Our only chance of finding Ophanimon's Castle is if someone here can tell us where to find it. So that's where I'm going. You can wait out side if you want."

Kariko hurried to join him, obviously not too pleased with his decision or his words. "But I thought this was Ophanimon's Castle," she pleaded.

"It's not," Tommy sighed. "The only one that is close to the Forest Terminal is Seraphimon's castle. That's this one."

"This is so confusing," Suzie said frowning. She and Jeremiah soon joined the other three, and they walked through the crystal hall for a ways. "This isn't _anything _like the digital world _I _came to!"

"The digital world is always changing," Tommy said with a shrug. "That's what Bokomon said once. He said he only knew the history of this digital world, but that it had been different once before. He said it is always changing because disaster always seems to come to it. My guess is that every time it gets destroyed, it gets rebuilt a little different each time."

"I wonder if the D-Reaper destroyed it that one time, and that's why it changed into what it is now," Suzie mumbled.

Tommy shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I just don't know that much about it. But I do know that it got destroyed again, when we were fighting Lucemon. Kouji and Takuya had to rebuild it. I know we all helped, as Susanoomon, but it was them mostly. So it is a little different than it was before. We recovered a lot of lost data. There almost wasn't enough space to put it all. We had to separate it into different planes. Or something like that. I didn't help that much because I didn't understand."

"And I don't understand anything you two are talking about!" Shinya complained. He quickly shut his mouth. "Sorry. I am just freaked out. Maybe you guys have been in a situation like this before, but I haven't. Ever. So I'm just…" he sighed, leaving his sentence unfinished. They were getting nowhere. "Tommy where am I going?"

"Down a long hallway. See those doors ahead? Go through them."

"Whatever." Shinya jogged up to the doors, and leaned against them, listening to see if anyone was inside. He always did that. For one, he liked eavesdropping. He learned a lot that way. For another, he didn't want to barge in on some enemies that would probably kill him for bothering them. So he listened instead. He was about to determine it safe to enter and open the door when someone speaking caught his attention. He motioned for everyone to be quiet, and listened harder.

"It's too dangerous. More is being scanned every day. We've already lost all of the digital planes that surround the Real World. At this rate, our world will be destroyed forever!" Someone, who sounded like an older man in his forties or something, was talking to someone gravely. There was an edge of despair in his voice, and he was not attempting to hide it.

"We don't have a choice," someone answered, also with a man's voice. He sounded less despairing, and more determined. There was something about his voice that made Shinya like him. Something trustworthy, and honorable. Maybe it was safe to go in after all…

"We could hide in the Safe Zone like the others. You don't need to sacrifice your life like Ophanimon did. We need you here!" The despairing one pleaded. "My Lord, do not throw your life away. They will scan you without even thinking twice!"

"I know, Sorcerermon. But this is something I must do. Those children will be looking for Ophanimon, and she will not be there to help them. If we do not find them, then all hope for our existence is gone."

"But Seraphimon…"

Shinya cut off Sorcerermon from saying anything else by pushing the doors open dramatically. He had heard all he needed to hear. If they were looking for children, it was obvious that they were the ones. He didn't want Seraphimon going off looking for them if they were already here.

He walked in, followed by the others, and put on a triumphant grin. "We got a little lost," he said smoothly, aware of the surprised glances his companions were giving him for his sudden change of attitude. "But I think you guys can help us out. We're looking for Ophanimon." No need to say that he was eavesdropping.

Two strange people stared at the group of kids silently. The shorter one, wearing a white hat and clothes with golden hair and holding a staff in his hands stared at them in unhidden relief, while the other, a tall, magestic-looking figure with his face covered, and many wings coming from his back did not show any emotion at all. But that was probably because his face was covered. His whole body was covered in armor for that matter.

"I hoped you would come here," the taller one said eventually, his rich voice filling the room. He sounded relieved. "I was relying on the hope that you would not remember how to get to Ophanimon's castle," he said with a chuckle, his comment directed toward Tommy.

"Good to see you again too," Tommy gave another famous grin. "You were right in assuming that. I never really paid attention to where we were going," he admitted.

"I know that." Seraphimon, as Shinya identified the taller one, said. He turned toward Shinya and stared at him thoughtfully. "You were listening at the door, weren't you?" he asked.

Shinya paled slightly, a guilty expression on his face, but then crossed his arms defensively. "I'm in a dangerous world. I wanted to make sure I didn't get myself killed by walking into a trap or something. Is that so bad?"

"I never said it was, but I knew you were there."

Shinya shrugged and placed his hands in his pockets casually. "Well, since we're here……Why ARE we here?"

Seraphimon laughed, and then shook his head. "Yes, I am sure you have many questions. And we have much to talk about." He motioned for the children to step forward into the room, and had Sorcerermon bring in chairs for them to sit in. When they were seated, he cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Now," he said, exhaling. "I shall begin."

(------)

Davis stared at the ceiling, the only thing he'd been able to see for as long as he'd been here, strapped to this cold metal table. He had been lying here for HOURS it seemed like! But it probably was less than that. No one spoke to him. No one said anything. In fact, the entire room was empty, waiting for someone to come in and puncture him with that needle. Just waiting in anticipation of pain was worse than torture. Or at least just as bad!

And he knew he wasn't going to be able to protect the secret of the hideout. There was no way he'd be able to do this. He was just a kid! He shouldn't have to experience this!

"It's not fair," he whispered, a tear slipping down his cheek bone. It was weird to cry while lying down. All his tears slid out the sides of his eyes and dripped down into his ears. It was uncomfortable, and he couldn't move to wipe them away. But he couldn't stop crying either. "Why did this have to happen to me? Why? I don't deserve this!"

The door opened, and a feeling of complete dread washed over him. Someone walked in, a cold sneer on his face. "Physical Interrogation is it?" he asked. "How I enjoy this." He stood nearby, watching Davis with an evil grin, before taking his time to prepare all the little tools that were sitting on the tray.

"Is that what you call it?" Davis ventured, his voice still shaky. He would never be able to stop himself from saying things like that, would he? He just had to open his mouth. "I'd call it torture."

"That's one way of putting it, yes, but I like to divide it into categories. 'Torture' is what you do to your enemies. 'Physical Interrogation' is what I'm going to do to you."

"What if I want to talk?" Davis pleaded.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that." The twisted smirk he gave was scarier than the tool in his hands. But then, that was scary too. "Whether you talk or not, you're still going to have to deal with the consequences of not talking in the first place."

Davis stared up at him helplessly, the tears starting to stream faster from his eyes into his ears. So that was it. No matter what he said, he'd be tortured. Did it really matter if he gave the hideout away? The realization was painful, but at the same time it comforted him somehow. He didn't have to betray everyone. He'd be getting hurt anyway. He winced and closed his eyes. Whatever he said next when he opened his mouth would be the biggest and hardest decision of his life. And he might not be able to maintain it either.

"I'm going to regret this," his mind screamed at him. Slowly, he opened his eyes to look up at the hard face of his 'physical interrogator,' and licked his dry lips. "Then I have nothing to tell you," he said quietly, his voice cracking as he tried not to cry. He closed his eyes so that he didn't have to see what the man was about to do to him.

"If that's what you think, you're going to be changing your mind pretty quick," the man cackled. Davis couldn't see his face with his eyes closed as they were, but he was sure that there was an evil look of glee upon his face. How could people possibly be so twisted?

His thoughts were interrupted as something hot and sharp pierced his skin. Startled, he opened his eyes and tried to see what was happening. A thin needle had been shoved into his wrist, and a searing, white-hot, unbearable pain began to spread from his wrist up his arm, into his shoulder, into his chest, until it filled his entire body. "What is that?" he screamed. "Take it out! Please!"

The man smirked at him. "It's only going to get worse," he replied, holding up another needle. "So tell me. Where is this hideout?" He waited for Davis to answer, and when he got nothing but crying, stabbed the needle in his hands into Davis' other wrist. "I asked you where the hideout is," he pressed. "Or do you want another one?"

Davis squeezed his eyes shut, screaming. "I'LL TELL YOU! I'LL TELL YOU! JUST TAKE IT OUT! TAKE IT OUT! PLEASE!" A more intense pain began to spread from his other wrist in the same manner, and already he could not stand it anymore.

"You tell me first. Then maybe I'll take them out."

Davis opened his eyes in horror. There it was again, that threat that no matter what he said, he'd still have to go through it. 'Maybe I'll take them out,' he had said. How could he trust that, when this man said so himself he enjoyed torturing people like this? He was alone, left to endure this terrible pain all by himself, while the fate of everyone else rested on him. How could he possibly deal with that?

All he could do was scream at the top of his lungs. At least screaming helped take his mind off the searing pain that was spreading from his arms.

(------)

Aim stared at the computer screen, a scowl on his face. He didn't like this. There it was again, that nagging feeling at the back of his mind, a memory just out of reach. And somehow, Kouji was the catalyst that was triggering it. It was uncomfortable. It was painful. And it was distracting. Was it the familiar shine of Kouji's black hair? Or the fire that seemed to glow from his brilliant eyes? Whatever it was, it wouldn't stop haunting him.

"Are you listening at all?" Lt. Johnson hissed. It was strange to hear him snap like that, and it startled Aim out of his thoughts. Johnson frowned thoughtfully, and gave Aim a disapproving glare. "I need you to pay attention Aim," he said firmly. "This is important."

"Yes, sir," Aim replied dryly. He waited for Johnson to finish glaring at him, and continue talking. _I have to stop getting distracted. I'm the best in the universe! I can't ruin my reputation because of one lousy kid! _

"The situation is serious," Johnson said finally, turning back toward the computer screen. "We are not able to scan any more of the digital world right now, because something is obscuring us from doing so. We need a programmer with better knowledge of the Digital World."

"And you have someone in mind?" Aim asked. He could usually tell what his missions were going to be. Either capture or kill. That's all he ever did. Frankly, it was getting annoyingly boring.

Lt. Johnson didn't like being interrupted, not being a man of many words. He only spoke when he had to. He frowned disapprovingly and cleared his throat. "In our reports about Earth from our spies, there have been numerous reports about a certain digidestined—as they call themselves—who does most of his work on the computer. He is a programmer, and is also one of the first of to become one of these so-called digidestined. Since then he has begun to work for the government. If we can capture him and _persuade _him to work for us, we can get over this problem and get back to work on creating our ultimate weapon." He turned to Aim and placed a file about the programmer, containing everything he needed to know, into Aim's hands. "Your mission is to find this 'digidestined' and bring him here. Alive. And unhurt."

Aim scowled at him, an intense feeling of dislike beginning to build up in him. "You're going to 'persuade' him huh? Sure. More like torture him till his mind is broken."

Johnson's eyes narrowed, and the whole room suddenly felt slightly darker. "Did I ask for your opinion, Assassin?" he challenged.

Aim sighed and saluted, aware that this was not the time to incur the wrath of the most dangerous empire in the universe. "I understand sir."

"Then it wont happen again."

"No it wont."

Lt. Johnson turned away, back toward the computer screen, signaling that Aim could now leave. He did so without looking back. How stupid. All he ever did was "go fetch" and "go kill" and what not. It was boring! He was capable of doing so much more! Why didn't he get to be the one ordering everyone around? He marched down the hallway, thinking about how delightful it would feel to be able to tell everyone what he _really _thought about them all. If only he could speak his mind!

He stopped walking suddenly, an intense feeling of dread washing over him. It was weird, something he had never felt before in his entire life. _What's wrong with me? _His mind screamed. _Why do I feel like this? I've never felt like this before, why now? And for no reason? _He shivered and forced himself to keep walking, but the feeling would not leave him. It was so incredibly familiar, like he had felt it a million times before. It scared him.

"I am never scared," he thought, frowning. He found himself walking past Kouji's cell, and slowed to a stop right in front of the door. Kouji, the kid who had started this torrent of strange feelings. Why? WHY? He turned and marched off. He had a mission to do. And no worthless feeling of dread was going to stop him from fulfilling it. All he had to do was establish a network of spies to figure out what happened to his target, and then catch him at the most opportune time. It was never too hard. Never.

"If only they gave me something challenging to do," he mumbled, hurrying to his ship. But they never did. "Looks like I'll be cursed with 'go fetch' for the rest of my life," he sighed. And now it was off to Earth again. Where did he park his ship again?

(------)

Takato glanced at Henry, both sharing a look of curiosity as Matt led them into a building different from the one they had been walking around before. Where were they now? A different hideout? He didn't know.

As soon as he entered, he realized just how big the group of digidestined was. Besides his group, plus Matt's small group of four, and the girl that had followed Ryo, there was…he didn't really care about counting. The number was pretty large. Close to twenty probably! Were there really that many?

"I see what you're thinking," an older teenager laughed, walking up. He wore a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and slacks. "But don't be surprised. There are hundreds of digidestined all over the world. I just haven't been able to meet them all yet. The ones you see here have all actually gone to the digital world. The others haven't."

Takato nodded, shocked, and ventured a smile. "I'm Takato," he said questioningly. "How can there be so many?"

"Well, as the digital world changes, and its needs change, different kids who are equipped for the job rise up to help out. I guess this time we all have to work together." The older teen bowed with a grin. "I'm Koushiro Izumi, but you can just call me Izzy."

"Nice to meet you," Takato returned the bow.

"So where is this tagalong?" someone else who looked about Izzy's age asked, walking up. Matt pushed forward the girl that Ryo was keeping a watch on. "This one? Well take the blindfold off guys. It's not like she's an enemy!"

"We don't know that," Matt mumbled.

The other teen rolled his eyes and took off the blindfold. "My name is Taichi. But you can just call me Tai. Who are you?"

"I'm Rem," the girl said with a frown, crossing her arms and glaring at him suspiciously. "What do you mean by 'digidestined?' What are you kids doing? Something illegal? I hope not or else the cops will be in here quicker than you can say 'bananas.'" She glared at him defiantly, then looked around. "This is your hideout? Sweet place!"

Ryo sighed and rolled his eyes. "We have serious business to talk about," he said to Tai. "And we don't have a lot of time. Do we let her over hear or not?"

"That depends. Rem, why are you here?" Tai asked gently. His eyes searched her face questioningly, and Takato could tell that he was trying to see if she was trustworthy or not.

"I don't know. I was just following him," she pointed to Ryo, "and then I got kidnapped."

"We can call your parents and send you home if you like," Ryo said with a smirk.

Rem simply glared at him. "No way," she scoffed. "I'm not supposed to have contact with people, according to him. There's no way I am cutting myself off from a conversation. I'm sick of sitting around! It's just punishment anyway because I finished training without his permission."

"You're not very honoring toward your father," Takato pointed out.

"Yeah well have you ever sat at home when the world was in danger because your parents didn't want you to go out and fight?" She scowled at him defiantly. "You're just a kid. You're not good enough to fight. Stay home and don't get hurt. Would you obey that, if someone was in danger and you were the only one who could save them?"

Takato stared at her blankly, and then gave a guilty smile. "I have to admit, something like that has happened a couple times."

"And what did you do? Stay home?" she grinned smugly at him, having made her point. "I go through the same thing every day. I could be doing great things as a bounty hunter, but because I'm just a kid, my dad thinks I need to go through some more training. Maybe I do, but I'll only get better if I test myself with real people! Not stupid simulations like he always has me do!"

"I'm not sure I understand anything you're talking about," Tai laughed nervously, "but you seem like someone who understands our position. You see, that's kinda what we're doing. We're trying to save two worlds."

Rem stared at him suspicious. "Oh really? I've heard that a lot. And usually those people are trying to take over. How do I know you're not a part of NW?"

Izzy gasped, and then looked away, a look of concern on his face. "You know about them?" he asked timidly.

Rem was not the only one who turned to stare at Izzy. Pretty much everyone did. "The whole universe knows about them," she replied evenly. "They're the largest most dangerous Empire in the entire universe, and they've been targeting this planet for years."

"Yeah, we know," Izzy sighed. "They're the ones we are trying to fight."

Rem beamed, a look of relief flooding her face. Takato wondered at the change in her face. At first she had seemed so hard and rebellious. Now she seemed friendly. And the smile made her look pretty. "If you're against them, then join the club." She stuck out her arm and lifted her sleeve, showing something that looked like a watch. "This is my com-device, and proof that I'm on your side. Secretly, thought my dad doesn't know it, I work for a group called…." She shut up and quickly covered her com-device. "Are you sure this place is safe?" she asked suspiciously. "Nevermind I'll tell you later. You had something to say?" she asked, turning to Ryo.

Ryo stared at her dubiously, then turned toward Izzy and Tai. "I was going to say what I guess you already know. That the NW are intent on taking over this planet. And the only thing stopping them is us. They've sent out their best after us."

Rem groaned and smacked her forehead. "Aim huh? That jerk. I still owe him for that time he…." She stopped and clamped her mouth shut again, giving Ryo a guilty grin that indicated he could continue.

Matt interrupted him before he could speak. "Wait, wait, wait. What is NW? What is going on here? Why is Yolei crying?"

Takato glanced over to see a girl with purplish hair quietly crying and wiping her eyes. He figured that was Yolei.

"I guess it's time to show Davis' video," Tai sighed. "It'll answer a couple questions, and raise a ton more. But it'll let you know what's happened to Davis and the others who have been kidnapped already."

Takato frowned and glanced at Henry. Rika had been kidnapped. And now they'd get to see where. He wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

Izzy plugged in an expensive-looking camera into a computer, and turned a projector toward a blank wall. "Everyone sit down," he ordered, switching off the light. Within seconds, the video was rolling.

When it was over, there wasn't anyone who wasn't talking. Besides Takato that is. He held his ears, annoyed at the noise, and wished greatly that everyone would shut up.

"Listen to me!" Tai yelled. To Takato's surprise, everyone did. He wished he could do that… "We need to go back to our other hideout. It's not safe here."

Rem stared at him in surprise, then turned to Ryo with a smirk. "I see," she commented. "Pretty smart. Had me fooled."

Ryo simply shrugged in the way that he always did when dealing with girls—especially with Rika—and stood up. "I don't even know where it is."

"But I do. Come one, let's go before it's too late." Tai led the way, and they all snuck as quietly as they could toward the other hideout.

(------)

Kouji's eyes flickered open, and he groaned painfully. His head hurt like crazy! What happened? Oh yeah…they tried to drug him…no, they DID drug him. They tried to get him to tell them where the digital world was. And yet, it seemed like they already knew where it was. That much was evident. So why would they ask him something they already knew?

He looked around, confused. Last he checked, he was in that cell that looked like a room. But now he was somewhere else. He was lying in the middle of a large room. Everything was white. The walls, the ceiling…everything. And he couldn't see where they were. It was like the whiteness went on forever, like a fog. He sat up and rubbed his head, still groggy from the drug, and reached out to see if he could find the wall. But no matter how far he reached, there was no wall. The whiteness went on forever.

"Where am I?" he demanded, growing upset. "I'm sick of all of this! Let me out!" he stood up, yelling at the top of his lungs. It made him dizzy, and he collapsed onto his knees again. "Let me out…" he closed his eyes, a feeling of doom washing over him. How did this happen? His life was just getting better. Everything was starting to go right for once. For once he was actually happy. And then this had to happen. Could it get any worse?

"Kouji?"

Kouji's head snapped up, and he looked around. Still, all he could see was the white fog around him. The white emptiness that was his prison. "Who's there?" he demanded. "Who is it? HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?"

"Kouji is it really you?" The voice was familiar. It was so familiar. Who was it?

"Where are you?" Kouji demanded. "Who are you?"

"It's me," the voice replied, groaning slightly. "I don't know where I am. Everything's white."

"Me who?" Kouji crawled the direction the voice was coming from, desperate just to see someone's face. He knew the voice was familiar, he just couldn't place it!

"Who else?" the person speaking crawled toward him into view, and Kouji stared at him in shock. The person grinned and rubbed his head. "I guess it's good to see you again, even though we're meeting under such weird circumstances…"

Kouji blinked rapidly, trying not to cry in joy, and jumped on top of him, hugging him to death. "Takuya! My gosh! It's you! I thought I'd never see anyone again!"

Takuya pushed Kouji off of him, grinning, and patted him on the back. "Are you crying?" Takuya asked jokingly.

Kouji wiped his cheeks, and pulled back. "No. Course not. It's the drug. It….oh never mind." How could he admit to Takuya he was crying? Was he really that happy to see him? _Yes…_ "Takuya your voice changed. I didn't recognize it."

"Haha! I know. Pretty cool huh? Yours was always lower than mine, but now…" he coughed and held his head. "Where are we?" he asked, changing the subject. "I remember being in that small room with no windows and a security camera…but I don't remember how I got here."

"Neither do I," Kouji groaned. "I think they moved us while we were sleeping."

"I feel weird," Takuya complained, rubbing his forehead. "Like they drugged me or something."

"Maybe they did."

"So what do we do now?"

Kouji sighed and looked around. The endless white was getting annoying. Plus, it hurt his eyes. "I don't know. Maybe we should look for the way out."

"Works for me." Takuya and Kouji stood, leaning on each other for support, and started walking. Would they ever get to even a wall? This whiteness was going on forever! "When does it end?" Takuya finally blurted. "It's driving me crazy!"

"How do they have the space for all of this?" Kouji added. "It's impossible."

"Not necessarily," someone spoke out of the whiteness, startling both boys so much they fell over. They couldn't exactly help it though, their legs still being weak from the drug. "Space doesn't matter when you're in a digital field."

Kouji frowned, something clicking in his head. He tried to figure out what he'd just figured out, but it kept slipping from him like jello through his fingers. "Who is that?" he demanded, at a loss for what else to say.

"My name is Renamon. I am a digimon, captured in this digital field just like you and every other digimon that has been scanned." A figure materialized through the fog, walking towards them. It was a tall fox digimon, with gold and white fur and sharp angled eyes.

"Digital field?" Takuya asked. "With other digimon? But why?" he gasped and went silent. "I think I get it," he stated finally.

Kouji looked at him helplessly. "I think I do too, but I don't know what I'm getting."

Takuya gave him a guilty grin. "Same goes."

Renamon stared at them oddly, and then went on to explain. "Our world is being scanned, and put into this digital field. Every digimon gets sent here, and the rest, the make up of the world, gets taken somewhere else. They are creating something, but I don't know what. All I know is that we are their test subjects, and that every few hours, another digimon disappears from this field." She closed her eyes in fury. "They are experimenting on us. Destroying our data so that we can never come back. They are killing us to create something else. The only reason you would be here as well is if they are going to experiment on you too."

Kouji stared at her in horror. "They're destroying digimon?" he asked, the tears once again filling his eyes. "How could they do something like that? They're monsters!" He wiped the tears from his cheeks, angry with himself for this drastic show of emotion. _Stupid drug and its effect on me! _

Renamon stared at them silently, then gasped and looked upward. "Rika!" she exclaimed.

Kouji followed her gaze. "Rika?" he asked. That name meant something… "I met someone named Rika….she got captured too, same time as me."

"She's calling for me!" Renamon wailed helplessly. "Rika I can't come!" She hung her head in despair, and turned away from the two boys. "I am helpless here. I am not longer worth anything when I can't even protect my Tamer."

"Your Tamer?" Takuya asked, confused. "I don't understand."

"It doesn't matter," Kouji replied, standing up. He was not going to be worthless. He was not going to be helpless. He was going to conquer this! "There's something I need to know. Renamon, did Lobomon get scanned too?"

Takuya gasped and jumped to his feet, swaying dangerously as the blood rushed to his head. "Yeah, and Agunimon too! Are they here?"

Renamon didn't answer them. Instead she walked away. "I must get out," she whispered. "I must!"

Kouji clenched his hand into a fist and turned to Takuya with a determined frown. "I am going to find the way out. Are you with me?"

Takuya grinned, his hand also in a fist. "Always," he replied. They lifted their hands in the air and knocked fists, their old secret handshake from way back in the digital world.

"Then let's go." Kouji led the way, and the two of them tramped through the endless white, calling for their legendary warriors and searching for the way out.

(------)

_"Where are you going?" the boy asked, his brilliant green eyes filling with tears. "You always leave me behind!"_

_A small boy, the same age as the one who was speaking, smirked and turned away. "I'm going on an adventure, like Dad. But you can't come because you're too weak." He narrowed his amber eyes and looked off at the caves in the distance, the ones his father had ordered him not to enter._

"_I'm not too weak!" the other complained, now beginning to cry._

"_But you're afraid of spiders!" _

"_I am not!"_

"_Yes you are." He rushed off toward the caves, grinning gleefully. "See if you can catch me!"_

"_No wait! Dad said you aren't allowed to go! Come back!" the boy faded into the distance, pouting. His sharp green eyes full of tears. "Come back," he called, "Andrew!"_

………………_Andrew……_

"AAAAAAUUUUUUGH!" Aim's hands flew to his head, a sharp pain engulfing him. "Stop it!" he screamed. "Stop!" he squeezed his eyes shut, begging the pain to stop. He couldn't get it out of his head!

_The boy, his green eyes full of tears, calling out "Andrew, come back!"_

He forced his eyes open, panting breathlessly. He was sweating, and trembling. Dread washed over him again, and again, leaving him weak and helpless on the floor. Something terrible was about to happen…something terrible…

He was staring at shoes. Slowly, still gripping his head, his looked up into Lt. Johnson's hard, emotionless face.

"Starting to remember again, are we?" Johnson asked, a hint of annoyance in his eyes. "And you were doing so well too." He sighed and turned to the guards beside him. "Pick him up," he ordered. The guards grabbed Aim and roughly dragged him to his feet. He stood there shivered, staring at Lt. Johnson in confusion. What was going on here? Why was he so afraid?

_"Andrew…"_

Aim's eyes widened. "My name…" he groaned through clenched teeth. "My name…!"

"He needs to be re-processed," Lt. Johnson said dully, staring into Aim's eyes coldly. "I don't want him to remember anything."

"Of course sir," the guard replied. "They never do."

Aim struggled, using every trick and reflex he had learned to get away, but they seemed to know just what to do to keep him from escaping. He had been in this position before! It was happening again! _Not again…please…don't make me forget again…_

A needle in his skin startled him, and he found himself relaxing in their hold. A drug. They'd sedated him. "Now, now Aim," Lt. Johnson cooed evilly, walking forward toward him as he hung limply in the guards' arms. "This is getting tiresome. This is the third time you've done this to us this year! Try to be less of a problem now would you? We can't afford to lose our best."

Andrew glared at him angrily, unable to get his mouth to work. _I hate you! _His mind screamed. _You monster! Why do you do this to me? Why wont you let me remember who I am? _He tried in vain to struggle, but was helpless as they dragged him off to a familiar chamber.

He was going to forget. Again. And he hadn't even begun to remember.

(------)

**Okay I'll write more when I have more time. Pray for me for my finals! They're tough!**

**I know, I'm so bad. Poor everyone. It's only going to get worse before it ever gets better. I don't try to do it this way, this is just how the story is. The Night Wanderers are just evil. And what they do to people is evil. If they win, the whole world would be in for a bleak and dismal future. Lets just hope they don't.**

**Well, better keep reading to see if everything turns out alright. And tell me what you think. Even an "I don't like it that much" would be great. I LOVE HONEST OPINIONS! The truth is always better than a white lie. So thanks! Until next time!**

**Rika195**


	10. Chapter 10

Stardashcircle Chapter 10-----------------Watch it all unravel….into chaos.

**black peeches**: Hey Tay-nith! Wazzup? Hey no, you were NOT annoying, I was just having fun teasing you, because you were such a help in encouraging me not to forget about this story. So thank you. Yeah, Aim goes through much in life. But I wont say more. Yeah, poor Davis. I feel for him. But I can't say things will be getting better for anyone this chapter. Or next chapter either for that matter. Like I said above…. Watch it all unravel in chaos.

**Kouzumi93**: Hey there! I hope this chapter isn't too long for you. Cuz it's going to be pretty long too, unless I get bored. So I hope you'll enjoy it. Well, there wont really be much to enjoy, since everything is going to go wrong….or maybe not. Hehe. We'll see.

Oh yes. Chaos, here we come. I am sorry to have to bring you in at all. But you had to come sooner or later. Who will save everyone now?

(------)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Digimon or Rem.

**I Own**: Aim, McDown, Lt. Johnson, NW, and the other strangers you wont recognize from Digimon.

**Note**: Chaos is coming………..its coming!

(------)

_The red lights flashed on the screen, over and over, trying to proclaim what he already knew. The station was ready to blow. He ignored the lights and kept working, knowing that the only hope for survival lay in whether he made the right decision or not. Sighing, he turned his head to the anxious man at his elbow._

"_Your orders sir?" the man asked._

_He paused, knowing that he had to say the thing he feared the most. "Is everyone evacuated?" _

"_Yes, sir."_

"_Then what are you waiting for? Get out of here. Your mission is to make sure the Package doesn't get taken." He stared at the screen, the NW's cruisers zeroing in on their position. They would be boarding in a manner of minutes._

"_Sir I am not leaving without you!" The man exclaimed. He stepped forward, anger etched into his features. "You can't do this!"_

"_It's me they are after, and you know it. We can't let them get the Package. Once they board, the station will blow, and we will have stopped them." He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder grimly. "This is what I have fought for, strived for, and lived for. It is a cause worth dying for as well."_

"_You have to lead us," he pleaded. "You are the only one they are really afraid of! If you die, then all of that will be for nothing!"_

_Stardashcircle shook his head and shoved his friend toward the exit firmly. "No it wont," he declared. "They will know if I leave, and then they will not board. Our mission must be completed if we are to save Earth from being conquered. Besides…" he smiled gently. "If this works, we will effectively destroy all of their top assassins and bounty hunters and agents. This will cripple them for years."_

"_But what are we to do once you are gone?"_

"_Keep fighting, of course. As long as the NW remain a threat, we must keep fighting. You are not helpless without me."_

_He sighed, distressed, but hurried to the exit. "I think you're making a mistake," he complained to his Commander._

_Stardashcircle grinned. "You always say that. Watch over them for me, wont you?"_

_He smiled. Stardashcircle could only have meant his twin sons. "I will," he promised. _

_The last thing he saw before escaping was the NW army entering the Station. It was only minutes later that the entire station blew up, destroying half of the NW entire army. Stardashcircle was right. They would be crippled for years. _

_But they would come back. They were determined to take Earth, and not even Stardashcircle was going to stop them. Who was going to stop them when that time came? Could they ever be stopped? Or would the NW forever remain the greatest threat to the Universe?_

_Only time would tell. It seemed the only hope left remained in the Package. He sure hoped Stardashcircle's plan would not be in vain._

(-------)

"It all began a year ago," Seraphimon began, using his hands to make motions as he talked. "The world was finally at peace, and all of our data had been restored, thanks to you children. For once, the digital world was as whole as it was when it was first created. Our world was situated close to your world, in another dimension so that it could not be found. And there were several layers of data, like your atmosphere, that protected our world from being found by yours. And for once, everything worked the way it was supposed to.

"That was when things began to go wrong. No one knew at first what was happening, but slowly, the digital 'atmosphere' was being depleted. We thought it was a digimon, but searching proved us wrong. No matter what we did, the 'atmosphere' continued to disappear, until one day it was all gone. After that, digimon began to disappear as well. We couldn't ignore the problem anymore, nor pretend that it would go away. So we sent the best to find out the problem."

"The legendary warriors," Tommy interrupted. "Right?"

Seraphimon nodded. "Yes. But when they began to disappear as well, we grew more worried. We were helpless, as every day more of our world and more digimon vanished from our dimension. That was when Lobomon returned with a terrible discovery. Humans from another world than your own had discovered our world, and were scanning our data."

"Wait," Shinya interrupted rudely, shocked. "Humans from a world _other _than ours? You mean…."

"We do not know where they are from, only that they are not from your world. They are scanning our data into their computers, and as they scan, the data becomes lost. Digimon scanned into their computers can never return, the way digimon are supposed to. Nor can the data from our world ever be regained." Seraphimon dropped his head. "We are going extinct. Without the help of you humans, we shall cease to exist."

Shinya gaped at him, horrified. "How could they do something like that? Come in out of nowhere to start stealing your very home and lives!" He stood up, angry. "That's vile! I can't believe they would do something like that! They should pay for they are doing!"

Tommy stared at him quietly, and then turned to Seraphimon. "What about….Kumamon? Is he…" he swallowed a lump in his throat, "…scanned?"

Seraphimon nodded sadly. "I'm sorry Tommy," he said gently. "You two were good friends. He was a kind warrior, to the very end. He tried to save Kazemon from getting scanned, but was never able to in the end…."

Shinya glanced at Tommy, and was shocked to see tears suddenly beginning to stream down his cheeks. Tommy was….crying?

"Kumamon…." Tommy whispered. "He's….not coming back…" he squeezed his eyes shut painfully. "I promised him that one day I would return to the digital world to see him again. And when you called us here, I thought…I thought I'd be keeping that promise. But instead….I find that I'll never…ever…see him again…." He covered his face with his arm and cried silently.

The whole room was silent, as the new chosen children sat staring at each other helplessly. Finally, Shinya could take no more of it.

"So why are we here?" he demanded loudly, glancing around at everyone. "Why are we here if not to help? There must be some reason you called us here besides to tell us what's going wrong." He crossed his arms and stared up at Seraphimon boldly. "Whatever you want us to do, I don't care. I'm in. Takuya said that I'd have to be willing to fight and die for this world. Well I've only seen a tiny bit, and already I know that this world is worth fighting for. If I can do anything to help, just let me know. Besides," he glanced down at Tommy, "I'm sure that Kumamon, whoever he was, was a good friend to Tommy. We can't just let that memory die without a fight. Right?"

Tommy looked up at him helplessly. "Without Kumamon, I'm nothing," he sighed. "I never was anything until I met him. And now he's gone, and there's no way to bring him back. What could I possibly do?"

"Besides, these people are aliens! We don't even know how to stop them!" Kariko complained. She hugged herself, scared. "We're just kids! What can we do?"

"Nothing," Jeremiah stated with a frown. "Yeah it's awful, but there's nothing we can do about it!"

Suzie simply said nothing, but frowned and stared at the wall anxiously.

Shinya shook his head at them, and turned back to Seraphimon. "Why are we here?" he asked. "Unless you think we can help stop you from being scanned?"

Seraphimon sighed weakly. "That was my hope," he admitted. "As soon as humans entered our world, the scanning stopped. Your presence makes it impossible for them to continue scanning us."

"But why is that?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions, but I appreciate it," Seraphimon said, seeming to smile. Shinya couldn't really tell, since he had a mask on his face. "I don't really know, but I believe that in order for humans to come here, the digital world has to change slightly, to be able to support you. And you also, need to change in order to survive here. The change seems to affect the scanning. It's almost as if you humans are like a shield to us. Wherever you are, the scanning cannot affect us."

"So then all we have to do is…" Shinya tried to think of an easy solution, but couldn't come up with anything. "Um…." He sighed and gave up. "Well, what did you have in mind."

Seraphimon sighed as well. "Actually, I don't know. I was hoping that you humans would be able to help. I would have asked Takuya, your brother, and the others to help, but your world needs them. And the digital world chooses its own rescuers. You five were chosen, and here you are. Meaning you have a purpose, and only you will be able to save us."

Shinya blinked and thought about this. So what it came down to…. Was that he, Shinya, was one of the only five people in the entire world who could save everyone's lives. He had to be a hero. He had to fight, because no one else could.

_Takuya was right, _he laughed wryly. _For once, Takuya was actually right. And yet, I'm sure that if he were here, he would know what to do. Instead I'm here… totally helpless…_

Totally helpless.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Suzie asked, standing up. She came and stood next to Shinya. "Lets get as many digimon as we can to a safe place, and find out how to protect them. There must be a way to protect the world from being scanned. Are you guys in or not?"

Tommy nodded, standing up. "Always," he whispered, tears still streaming down his face. "No matter what happens. I always knew there was a risk. I'm not backing out now."

Kariko hesitantly stood up. "I always wanted this," she said slowly. "And now that I have it, I'm not sure I want it. But I'm not backing down just because I'm scared."

Jeremiah sighed and stood up. "And I'm not getting left behind. Let's go ruin the enemy's plans."

Shinya grinned, and turned back to Seraphimon. "We're here to fight, and we'll fight to win," he said triumphantly. "And we wont stop until you're safe."

Seraphimon smiled at them. Or seemed to anyway. "Thank you," he said. But in truth, he wasn't even sure what these kids could do against so great an enemy.

(------)

"We're here," Izzy said with a sigh. And everyone gaped at the immensity of the hideout. He wasn't lying when he said it was a government-issue hideout. "Take a seat somewhere, because we have a lot to discuss." He glared at Kouichi's dog, annoyed that the dog was _still _hanging around, and took a seat at his computer. "Tai, you have the stage."

Tai made a weird face, and stood up from his chair reluctantly. It was awkward. He, Tai, was in charge. What a weird feeling. "I'll recap," he said with a sigh, "for anyone who needs it. We all probably need one. Basically, some enemy is trying to take over our world, and the digital world as well. Since we are the only people who can stop it, they want to kill us or kidnap us. It looks like kidnap. The only way we are safe is if we stick together, and work together, and find out all we can about our enemy. And what we know so far is that they are aliens, and took Davis away on a spaceship. And the only clue we have are the letter "N-W."

"So far, the people we know about that are kidnapped are: Davis, Kouji, Takuya, and Rika? Right? Yeah. That's four of us. We can't let it be any more. Now are there any digidestined who aren't here?"

Henry raised his hand, so Tai pointed to him. "My sister isn't here, because she went to the digital world."

"She did?" Kari exclaimed. "Lucky."

Henry simply shrugged.

"I see Kouichi here," Zoe said timidly, an extreme look of fear on her face, "But no one else from our group. Kouji and Takuya got kidnapped, but what about JP and Tommy? They are still unsafe!"

"So that's two that still need to get here. Any others Izzy?"

Izzy clicked a couple keys on his keyboard, and glanced up at Tai distractedly, as if something was bothering him. "Huh? Well, there are more digidestined, yes, all over the world. You know that. But they've never been to the digital world, so they're not in danger. That's pretty good for us. I've sent out an anonymous email telling them to be careful, and almost all of them are willing to help us out in any way they can."

"Perfect," Tai sighed, sitting down. "So who has questions?"

"I do," Rem declared, sounding annoyed. All eyes turned toward here. She paused for a second, and then blurted, "Who are you people?"

Ryo snickered, amused. "We're digidestined," he replied.

"Heroes of the digital world, if you will," Izzy added. "And who are you again?"

"A bounty hunter, in-training." Rem sighed and rolled her eyes. "Althought technically I already passed training. I am an agent against the Night Wanderers, and most of my missions are spying missions on them."

"I thought you weren't allowed to go on missions or have contact with any outside people," Takato pointed out, glancing at Ryo for confirmation. He was still a little bit confused. This was all to sci-fi for him.

"Well yeah, as far as I my dad knows, which is why I have to do this in secret." Rem rolled her eyes. "DUH!"

"Please, lets try to be polite," Tai sighed, rubbing his head. "Now there's something else I have to ask you Rem. Who are you working _for? _And why couldn't you tell us before? What are Night Wanderers?"

"Well…" Rem laughed, "Night Wanderers are a kind of spider that…um…nevermind. But Night Wanderers, or NW for short, are this enemy you're talking about. Basically they are the largest most dangerous Empire in the entire universe, and they want your planet."

"Why our planet?" Kouichi asked, frowning.

"Because, idiot, it has the largest source of fresh water and resources than any other planet, and has six billion people living on it. That would make a great addition to ANY empire, I should think."

"I said try to be polite…"

"Right, sorry, I just…never mind. As for your other questions, I am working for a group called Stardashcircle. It's like a Black Ops team that no one knows about, that work to supply worlds like yours that are in danger with a means of fighting back. I just joined recently, because someone referred me to them. And boy am I glad I did. Except…I'm not really supposed to tell you that…" she fidgeted. "But I guess you guys have a right to know…"

"Yeah, we do," Matt complained suspiciously. "And I still don't know if I trust you."

"Fine by me," she replied blankly.

Tai nodded, and turned to Izzy. "Then my last questions are directed at you, and Ken." He nodded in Ken's direction, he glanced up, looking puzzled. He was still thinking. Interesting. "What is it that is bothering Ken, and what is it that _you _know Izzy?"

Ken frowned. "What's bothering me is this whole deal with the NW. In order for them to know about the digital world, they have to have had some way of contacting people like us here on Earth. Which means they must have been in contact with one of us in this room—minus those that are captured or not here—to get that information. My question is, who was it, and when was it? Was it me? I am trying to remember if my time as the Digimon Kaizer had anything to do with it, but it doesn't seem to match. My guess is it was someone else. Somebody here let the NW find out about the digital world, and that's where our problem began. My question is….who was it?"

There was a long pause, until finally, Izzy cleared his throat. "That's where I come in," he answered quietly, guiltily. "It was me."

(------)

General McDowen entered the room with a purposeful gait, an impatient expression on his face. "I want to know where that hideout is," he growled.

St. Sarnoff frowned in annoyance as he turned to the General. "I have everything under control here," he complained.

"If everything is under control, where is the hideout? He's just a kid. You should be having no trouble getting it out of him."

"You are too impatient," Sarnoff muttered under his breath. "In time, sir. That's all it will take. First you have to get him to stop speaking gibberish." He turned back to his sobbing victim, frustrated with the General's impatience. "This is my area of expertise. I know what I'm doing."

McDowen frowned, but didn't reply. Sarnoff was right, of course, but he was sick of everything going wrong. Perhaps he _was _too impatient. So would Sergeant Sarnoff if he had the weight of the entire Empire's impatience on his shoulders. The Emperor was sick of waiting around. The operation was supposed to be done by now!

He turned his attention to the boy on the table, and watched Sarnoff work. They boy, strapped down by his arms, legs, chest, and neck was barely able to move at all, and there were needles in his arms from his wrists to his elbows; about six needles in each arm. He was sweating, tossing his head from side to side in obvious pain, and tears were streaming down the sides of his face into his ears, probably a most uncomfortable position.

He turned his gaze toward the General pleadingly, his eyes red and swollen from crying, and his chocolate-y hair stuck to his sweaty forehead. McDowen turned away, unable to look at him, lying there so helpless while they tortured him…

He walked back toward the door, wondering how on earth he managed to sleep at night. _Get a grip, _he scolded himself. _You see this kind of thing every day. One kid is not going to make a difference. _

_Yeah, but he's just a kid…._

McDowen groaned inwardly, and turned back to Sarnoff. "Sergeant," he said loudly. The Sergeant turned to stare at him questioningly. _I can't believe I'm about to do this…_ "I need your help with something else. That's why I came in here."

Sarnoff gave him a surprised look, and then smirked at him. "Oh I see," he stated simply. He walked forward, a sly look in his eyes. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking….are you?"

The General stiffened, annoyed. "I am in charge here. If you say patience is what it takes, leaving him alone for a minute wont change anything." _But if I'm going to make him stop, I can't just leave him on the table…I know how painful those needles can be…_

"Hmm," Sarnoff replied. He turned back to his victim thoughtfully. "Of course sir, whatever you say. But this is going in my report, of course. We wouldn't want the Emperor to think you're incapable of fulfilling your duties because you've gone soft now would we?"

For a split second, there was a spark of hope in the boy's eyes. Then he seemed to realize that no matter what, he was still going to get tortured. The hope died, and he continued crying and talking nonsense.

McDowen was angry now. Sarnoff was right. This was his last chance to prove himself. He was not falling back to the bottom again! "If that's what you think you're wrong," he snapped. "Finish up in here, but I need you when you're done. Remember the boy you drugged? Well I need you for the tests." He turned and walked to the door, not sure whether he was more upset at himself that he was going along with the torture, or that he had even felt bad in the first place. He was not supposed to be weak!

"Of course sir," Sarnoff replied, grinning at nothing in particular.

McDowen ignored him, and hurried back to the testing room. He had to get his mind back to business. This was a war. His last chance to prove himself. And no kid was going to mess that up!

_Except that he's just a kid._

Applying his mind to whatever he was working on was the only way he could stop thinking about it.

(------)

"I don't see anything Kouji," Takuya sighed, sick of walking around. He collapsed to his knees, and sat down, exhausted. "At least my head is starting to clear."

Kouji walked a little bit further, and then joined him on the floor of the digital plane. He didn't really want to lose Takuya to this endless white. "Yeah," he agreed. His head was becoming clearer too. Thank goodness. Drugs stunk. There was no way he was ever going to get addicted to them in his life, even if he ever got the chance There was just no way.

"Maybe the legendary warriors were too smart to get scanned," Takuya suggested hopefully. But even as he said it, he doubted it. "You'd think this place would be full of digimon, but I can't see any."

"It is," Renamon's voice replied, startling both of them. She suddenly appeared beside them. "They simply like to hide, in hopes that they will not get deleted forever like the rest of us."

Kouji made a disgusted face. "So what now. Have you found Rika?" He knew by the expression on Renamon's face that the answer was no. "Don't worry, she'll find you." He wasn't sure why he said it, but he felt like it would comfort her. "I doubt she'd let anything happen to you. I wouldn't let anything happen to my friends, if it were me."

Takuya smiled faintly. "Neither would I," he mumbled. "But sometimes we aren't in a position to be able to do anything. Like right now."

Renamon stared upwards helplessly. "And what do you do in those kind of situation?"

Takuya stared at her gravely. "You hang on, and continue to believe in them. Sometimes, all it takes is faith and hope. Doubting never helped anyone. Your believing in them gives them strength to keep going, and visa-versa, even if you can't do anything at all. Simply surviving is often enough." He sighed and looked around him, wishing he could find Agunimon. "I think you can trust that Rika would do anything to help you. I would trust her, and not give up hope."

Renamon gazed at him strangely, and then sighed. "But you don't even know her," she said eventually. "How can you know what she will do?"

"Because she has you for a friend," Kouji replied. It was like he knew what Takuya was about to say, and simply said it for him. "Anyone who has been to the digital world has been there for a reason. You don't come away from that without gaining this kind of understanding. Besides, if she's your Tamer, then she has to be the type who doesn't give up easily."

Takuya frowned, slightly annoyed that Kouji took away his answer, and then cocked his head. "But what is a Tamer?" he asked. "And how do you know what it is?"

Kouji smirked at him, and glanced at Renamon. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "It's the same thing. Rika is Renamon's partner, just as you were Agunimon's partner, in a way. It makes perfect sense."

Takuya thought about it, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess. I never consciously thought the word 'partner' when I thought about Agunimon, but now that you mention it, it couldn't really be anything else."

Renamon stared at the two of them, and suddenly began to feel hopeful again. "They're right," she thought. "Rika would never give up. If I can sense her, maybe she can sense me." She glanced up at the never-ending whiteness desperately. "Rika…where are you?"

(------)

"I'm here Renamon!" Rika whispered, her heart tugging at her urgently. _Renamon needs me… _"I'm here…I'm just…stuck." She sighed, and stared at her D-power angrily. "Stupid thing wont tell me what to do." She stuffed it in her pocket, and looked around. Maybe there was a way down. But no, if she got down, she'd be seen. And then there went her chance for survival! Or escape.

"I guess maybe I should escape first…? I don't know!" She held her head and groaned inwardly, afraid of making too much noise. What was she supposed to do?

She was momentarily distracted by voices below her, and leaned her head against the floor of the passageway to listen.

"Locate one of those creatures and run a scan on it. We need to find out if the problem at the digital world is occurring here too. Why is it that we can't continue to scan?"

"Yes, sir. We have one located. And sir?"

"What is it?" He sounded annoyed. And distracted. And familiar…

"Its near the two prisoners we threw in there."

There was a pause, and then the one called 'Sir' exhaled. "Good," he said thoughtfully. "Or first question has been answered. They, unlike anyone else onboard this station, are able to enter the digital field. I wonder if the scan will affect them too. Don't worry about them. Complete the scan. We're going to get rid of them anyway."

"Yes, sir."

There were several sounds of computers working and people typing, and a couple beeping noises, and then a sudden feeling of dread began to fill Rika. Renamon was in danger! Somehow, they had chosen her, and were going to scan her!

_Renamon no! _She threw her hand over her mouth, trying to keep herself from crying out, and tried to think of something to do. But there was nothing. She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped her D-power with both of her hands. _Oh God, please don't let it scan her…. _

Several painful minutes went by, and then someone began to talk again.

"Something's happening," someone exclaimed. "And it's stopping the scan!"

"What is it?" The 'sir' sounded anxious.

"I don't know! Its coming from the creature. We can't scan it. It's like it has some kind of a shield. It came out of nowhere!"

"That's impossible!"

"Perhaps it came from the captives…"

"Then run the test on them! I want to know what's going wrong!"

Rika listened harder, hope suddenly beginning to rise, and crawled forward. The floor beneath her fell away, and she landed heavily on top of someone sitting at a computer. Both man and girl were on the floor, startled, and for a second nothing happened. Then she looked up to find herself looking into the eyes of the General.

"Well!" he exclaimed in annoyance. "This is a surprise isn't it?"

Rika gulped, shaking visibly. That's it. She was doomed.

(------)

A simple shadow was all that betrayed the presence of a young man standing at the entrance to a deserted building. Slowly, a figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself from his hiding place. He glanced through the doorway suspiciously, then took a deep breath.

This had to be the place.

He entered slowly, walking around fallen beams of wood and avoiding treading on broken glass from the smashed and now boarded-up windows. There was absolutely no sound except for the sound of his own footsteps, as he walked hesitantly toward the only room that was closed. When he reached the door, he hesitated momentarily before reaching out and pushing the door open.

The stranger was standing inside, waiting for him. "Can I help you?" he asked, a scrutinizing expression in his eyes.

The young man walked forward, pushing his fear of the unknown out of his mind. "I am looking for the Package," he declared, his voice shaking slightly. If the letter were true, then this would be the place…

The man stared at him silently, and then broke into a wry smile. "I have waited a long time for you to be ready," he answered with a sigh. "But I'm afraid the Package is not meant for you."

The young man frown, his sharp green eyes growing clouded with confusion. "What do you mean, not for me?" he stared helplessly at him, frustrated that he had come so far, only to find that he still knew nothing. "If not me then who is it for?"

The man walked forward and held out a small envelope in his hand. "Not for you, but for you to carry from this day forward." He handed it to him, and stepped back. "My mission is complete. This is where yours begins. And never are you to open it."

The young man took the package, glaring at it angrily. "And what mission is that?"

"To deliver the Package of course," the man replied, "to the ones who can help you find what you're looking for."

"And who are they?"

"The only hope left for this world," he said gravely. "You have to find them on your own. My mission was to survive long enough to give it to you. It is your job to find who they are." The man walked past him, leaving him standing helplessly in the middle of the room.

He looked up, frustrated. "But how do I know who they are?" he asked. But his question remained unanswered. No matter how hard he looked, the man was gone. Once again, he was alone.

He looked down at the envelope in his hands. _The only hope for this world huh? How will I know? _Helplessly he walked out, leaving the building. He only walked a couple feet before stopping in complete shock. There, lying with his face to the ground, was the man who had just given him the pachage….dead.

"Drop the Package and put your hands in the air," a harsh voice ordered. He turned his head slowly, and gulped as he realized he was completely surrounded. How on earth had he gotten himself into this?

(------)

Lt. Johnson entered the testing room, a little surprised to see the girl lying on top of one of the younger soldiers. She looked terrified, and looked like she must have fallen from the ceiling or something. He glanced up, and saw that she had fallen through the air vent. Ah, so that's where she went. Funny, no matter how hard they looked or tested the air vents, it all seemed that she wasn't there. She must be very clever indeed...

He glanced at the younger soldier, one of the few computer geniuses that they had drafted from another planet, and scowled at him. "Get up," he ordered. The young man did so, glancing apologetically at the girl before pushing her off him and standing up. Satisfied, Johnson turned to the General.

"Where were you?" the General asked, ordering the security to grab the girl and hold her tight.

"Fixing a problem," Johnson replied dully. And what a problem it was beginning to be.

McDowen raised his eyebrows questioningly, and then suddenly seemed to understand. "And how is the situation?" he asked eventually. "How long will it take before we can send him to retreave the one we're looking for?"

Johnson sighed. "I am not sure, sir. It could take a couple days. It's a very tricky situation."

"As I understand," McDowen frowned, annoyed. "But onto other business...Lets talk about what we're going to do with her."

The girl glared at everyone in the room hatefully, but not quite as severely to the young man she had fallen on top of. She seemed like she felt bad about it. "You aren't going to do ANYTHING to me," she snapped.

The General raised his eyebrows, and Johnson could see that there were many things on his mind that were bothering him. "Oh?" he asked sarcastically. "We'll see about that, now wont we?"

The girl continued to glare, but she seemed to understand that she was helpless to whatever they had planned for her.

(------)

**I'd keep writing, but people would complain it's too long. How sad. I never think it's too long. But I guess I'll end it here for now. Don't get your hopes up, because things aren't about to be getting any better for anyone. **

**In fact, things will be getting a lot worse. Think you can handle it? Keep reading! And keep reviewing. I love reviews. **

**Till next time! So long. And thanks for your prayers. Finals are finished! Hooray!**

**Rika195**


	11. Chapter 11

Stardashcircle Chapter 11

**black peeches**: I feel bad for them too. But I am guilty, cuz I'm putting them through it, hehe. I'm sorry guys! But…..it has to be. I hope you don't hate be for this chapter. So anyway…..hows it going?

**Angel Born of Darkness**: Um….yeah….hehe. I refuse to answer your brooding cuz I want to leave you in suspense. Haha, jk. Yeah, experimentation going on. But how its going to work out is going to be interesting. I hope my story is good enough for you to keep reading!

**KARASU25**: Never seen the third season? Sadness itself! Go to http/ www. youtube .com and search for "digimon tamers episode" and you'll get them all. It is easier to search for each episode separately, so there is less confusion. Then watch it! Cuz that is just sad. I love the third season. Please see it! And I am glad you don't think it was long. I thought it was short myself, but other people think it's long. Hehe. I hope you will still continue to read my story!

**Kouzumi93**: Thank so much! Sorry it's taking so long. I am in Japan on a mission trip, so I can't write often at all. Anyway…..I hope it's still good!

**Tshk**: Yes Tish, that's Dann. Don't spoil it for people! Haha. Well, I spoil things in my reviews to your stories so….haha….I have no grounds for that comment. How are you? I MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY! Where is my sister when I need her? By the way, I am impressed and honored you actually read my story! Or wait a second….STEPHEN! You dork! Haha. Of course. My BROTHER writes the reply on my sister's account. I wondered how Tasha had read my story. She never does. Well stev, I MISS YOU TOO! And use your account next time. Okay? Cool.

Ho hum.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Digimon. I do not own Rem. I do not own…..er…..the idea of outerpace? Dunno. Fishing for stuff here…

**I Do Own:** NW, Aim, Dann, Stardashcircle, Kariko, Jeremiah, and um…..other people you don't recognize. By the way, if you see a book get published that has anything to do with NW or Dann, or stardascircle, and the author is Antonia Hagelin, thats me. I'm working on it. hehe.

**Note**: I'm at college now, so these stories will take a LONG time to update. I'm sorry. Encouragement will make it go faster though…

(------)

"Drop the Package. NOW!"

The dark-haired youth stared back and forth, a frown etched onto his face. His sharp green eyes surveyed the people around him. He counted 39, including the ten hidden behind the building. But he was sure that there were more. He couldn't see a way out. There was no way out. Who was he kidding, trying to figure out an escape plan? He had gotten himself into a mess, and there was no way out.

All his life, he had lived in the unknown. Orphaned at five years old, he had gone from foster house to foster house for no apparent reason. No one ever told him why. Just as soon as he felt a part of the family, he'd be moved again. He came to expect it. No one was there for him, and he had no one to look out for besides himself. It left him feeling empty.

And then one day, he found a letter addressed to him. All it had was an address, and a command. "Protect the Package," it said. It was the only tie he had to any life that had been lost to him the day his parents were murdered. But to get the Package only to be faced with armed men in unknown uniforms? His life was a mess already. He didn't want to be a part of a huge story. He just wanted to find out who killed his parents. And why.

"I said DROP THE PACKAGE!" The man yelled.

The young man smirked, and slowly began to set it down. "It's not what you think," he said bravely, not knowing why he was speaking. "It's a bomb." His eyes locked with those of the man closest to him, and he let the smirk on his face widen. "And nothing can stop me from blowing us all up if I want to."

The man walked forward, his gun still pointed at the youth's face. He gave a sneer. "Fortunately, I know that you wont. You may not know who you are, Dannflorr Albrite," he smirked at the youth's startled face. "But I know very well who you are, and I know even better what is in this package." He took it up in his hands and shook it. "Don't you wish you knew?"

Dannflorr Albrite stared angrily at the man, his lame attempt at an escape foiled simply because he was ignorant. The man was right. He didn't know who he was, or why he was here. He didn't know anything. All he knew was his name.

The men surrounded him, and clamped his hands behind his back in handcuffs. Then without another second, they began marching away. They took the Package with them, unopened.

(------)

"After that optimistic speech, we were sure you had even some kind of idea!" Jeremiah complained to Shinya. The five kids had exited the castle, giving Seraphimon some time to think, and finding a place where they themselves could think.

"Yeah," Kariko frowned, still hugging herself. It was what she tended to do when she was cold. And she got cold when she was stressed, tired, worried, or concerned. And right now, she was D, all of the above. So she was cold. "It seemed so amazing when you said it in there, but now it just seems hopeless. What can we do?"

"You guys aren't getting it," Shinya complained. He was angry, something he felt when he didn't understand what was going on. "This isn't a game!"

"I'm glad you understand this so early on," Tommy commented wryly. His eyes were blood shot from crying, but his tears were stopped. It was clear he was still crying on the inside though.

Shinya could tell without thinking too hard about it that Tommy was making a reference to Takuya. That was both amusing and annoying to him. Yeah, Takuya did kind of tend to be less serious about things than he should be, and probably thought of his adventure here in the Digital World as a game before he got some sense knocked into him. But on the other hand, hearing Takuya mention by everyone as if he was someone important was irritating. It left Shinya feeling like everyone was sizing him up to his older brother. It was like he was walking in Takuya's shadow, and if he wasn't just as good, he'd be considered a failure. He wasn't Shinya, he was "Takuya's little brother."

"What does it mean to you, when you say it isn't a game?" Suzie asked. Her question was less of a complaint than it was a query to discover what he was thinking. "You must have some idea, even if you know it wont do anything, it will get the rest of us thinking."

"Or complaining," Shinya groaned. "But listen…" he was grateful that Suzie cared enough to brainstorm with him. He wasn't going to give up on this just because he didn't know what to do. It wasn't like him. He never gave up. Not even when he failed miserably would he sit there and let it be. He would get back up again, and make it to the finish line, even if he had to crawl. "Those aliens, or humans from some other world than ours can't scan this world while we humans are around."

"Which brings me to the question, what world are these other humans from? And that brings me to the astounding realization that fanatics were right all along. There is life on other planets."

The group turned to stare at Jeremiah with slight annoyance. Yes, it was an amazing statement, and it was one that would keep them in awe until the day they died. But they didn't have time to ponder it right now.

"That means," continued Shinya, his brain trying desperately to come up with a plan of action from the tiny bits of information he collected. "That means that….that…that if we spread out so that we cover most of the world, we can protect the entire world from being destroyed…maybe."

Suzie frowned in thought. "I don't think so. Just us being here already stops that, but they'll probably work around it. We need to come up with something better."

"Well you asked what I was thinking…"

"Hey guys!" Kariko screamed at the top of her lungs. Everyone frowned in annoyance at her, and then suddenly realized why she had screamed. She was pointing out at the stairway that led up to the castle, and her eyes were wide with terror. For good reason too. Rushing towards them was the hugest crowd of creatures they had ever seen. They were obviously digimon, because they were not normal creatures you would see on earth. But they were rushing forward in a panic. "We need to move or they'll crush us!" she wailed.

No one wasted another second. They turned back to the door of the castle and rushed inside, closing the door behind them. Just as they thought they were safe, the doors burst open, and creatures of all shapes and sizes crowded in as fast as they could. The five humans yelled and screamed as they got trampled to the floor, the digimon completely ignoring them. When the chaos seemed be over, and the dust cleared, the castle found all of the humans sprawled out on the floor, coughing, groaning, and bruised all over.

"What the heck was that about?" Jeremiah coughed, sitting up and rubbing his head. He glanced around him, and found himself staring into the large black eyes of a strange creature, which he assumed to be a digimon. "Stupid little rat," he mumbled, pushing it away. "Why'd you have to trample me, huh? It's not like I deserved it!"

The little digimon's concerned expression turned into one of anger. "Well EXCUSE ME!" It yelled. "I only came over here to see if you were OKAY! No thanks for your appreciation. I'm glad you're fine!" It marched off, fuming angrily, leaving the five kids staring after it guiltily.

"Don't even," Jeremiah growled at Shinya, before he could open his mouth to insult him.

Shinya shrugged and stood up, straightening his messed up hair and rubbing a sore spot on his stomach. "Whatever," he sighed. He almost said more anyway, but knew that continuous bickering would do nothing to help them. "Just go apologize."

"I don't want to."

"I can't believe you!" Tommy and Suzie scolded at the same time.

Kariko stood up, and walked over to Shinya, still hugging herself. She watched as Tommy, Suzie, and Jeremiah began arguing over being polite to digimon. "This is a mess," she sighed. "We aren't a team."

"You noticed?"

"Stop it. I'm being serious."

Shinya sighed. "I know, I know. But you're right. We wont be able to do anything if we can't even get along. There's got to be something we can do!"

"Maybe there is…" Kariko said thoughtfully.

"There is."

Shinya and Kariko whirled around, startled. A voice they didn't recognize had spoken out, right behind them, and they had a huge fear that it would be someone they couldn't trust. What they found was a human boy about their age, with a serious expression on his face.

"There….is?" Shinya asked, looking him up and down. He had no idea who this kid was.

"Yes." The boy pulled out a small computer-looking thing, and began typing a message. "But first, I have to tell Izzy that I made it here. It was more difficult than I thought it would be."

"Who are you?" Kariko demanded angrily.

The boy looked up and gave her a calm and serious look. "I am Cody."

(------)

"You?" Tai asked incredulously. He couldn't believe it. "You told the NW about the Digital World?"

Izzy was sweating, looking so guilty he might throw up. So that was what was bothering him. "I-I…I'm sorry," he murmured. "I didn't know that was what I was doing. It happened so suddenly I just didn't know what to think! I was on an instant messaging conversation with someone, while I was in the middle of completing a mission for my work. I was on a top secret site, one of those ones that we had to look into because it was unknown to us. I thought I was typing in my instant message box…but…" he groaned, his eyes squeezed shut. "I never used instant messaging again, but it still didn't help. A screen popped up with the pen name NW, and started asking me all these questions. I tried to close it, but it wouldn't close. Next thing I knew, someone was saying they'd see me soon. I've never been more scared in my life."

There was a long silence, as everyone inwardly cringed. They knew that what he had done was stupid, but nobody had the heart to tell him how stupid he was. It was probably something he told himself at every waking moment. Still, he had done it, and there was no reason trying to comfort him. In fact, most of them felt slightly angry. But being angry didn't help either.

"So we know how they found out, and we know why they want to attack us, and we know what events led this to happening," Takato stated with a large exhale. "The only thing we don't know it how on earth we are supposed to stop them, or what their weakness is! We still aren't any better off than we were before."

Everyone received this information with heavy hearts. No one had anything to offer. That is, except Rem.

Rem stood up, marching to the front where everyone could see her. She had a serious look on her face, the look of one who is faced with the impossible, and yet knows that she can succeed. She had been faced with the impossible before. "Listen up," she said loudly. "You guys aren't the only planet the NW have tried to take over. And it has been known occasionally that the planet under attack can drive off the NW and manage not to get conquered. So there is still hope."

"Oh really?" Ryo sneered. "I haven't heard of any planets who succeeded in thwarting the NW. It's never been done before."

Rem walked over to him and smacked him as hard as she could. "I am trying to instill hope you idiot! Not despair! And besides, your planet has something other planets don't have!"

Everyone gave her hopeless glances. "And that is?" Tai asked, still heavy-hearted.

Rem smirked, and crossed her arms. "The Package."

No one said anything. They all simply waited for her to explain what she meant. Except that she didn't. Bewildered, and slightly annoyed, Ken turned to his computer and tried to think of something he could do to keep himself from drumming the table in his nervousness. He started, seeing a message appear before him. It was from Cody.

"You guys!" Ken exclaimed. "Cody made it to the Digital World. He says he's fine, and that he's discovered five other kids there. He says they don't know what to do, and asks for advice." He turned and looked at Izzy, trying not to glare accusingly at him for this whole mess, even though he felt like it. "Got any?"

Izzy turned to his computer and got to work, trying to keep the tears behind his eyes from spilling out. No one else said anything. They didn't have anything to say.

(------)

Davis opened his eyes groggily, and found himself still staring at the same ceiling he'd been looking at for hours. It loomed above him, hideously bare except for the bright light positioned right above his eyes. These people must really want to make their prisoners as miserable as possible.

He blinked, suddenly realizing that he must have fallen asleep. The last thing he remembered was the most incredible pain he'd never thought he would ever feel. And now…now he didn't feel anything at all. It was weird, and it scared him. Was he dead? Or close to dead? Was that why he didn't feel anything?

"I feel my heart beating," he found himself saying out loud. "But I can't feel anything else." He waited for the sound to reach his ears, but he never heard the words he had spoken. All he could hear was his heart beating, and that was all he could feel. Sound and feeling were lost to him. And he had no idea why.

This had to be a trick of theirs, he thought with a frown. They wanted him to think he was safe, so that he would talk. They wanted him to talk without realizing he was talking. Yeah well, he wasn't going to fall for it.

Or had he fallen for it already? The bleak prospect made his heart heavy, and he closed his eyes again hopelessly. This was insane. Why did everything have to be so awful? How would he know if he had betrayed everyone or not. He couldn't even remember anything he had said during his whole experience, but he remembered talking non-stop. He was sure he had given something away.

Was there anything he could do to pass the time? Was there anyway he could find out what they knew, or how much they were still going to do to him? His mind didn't have time to come up with anymore questions, as someone leaned over him and blocked the light from penetrating through his eyelids. He opened his eyes and looked up.

There he was. Sgt. Sarnoff, his torturer, an evil glint in his eyes. The man above him spoke, but Davis could not hear the words. The man spoke again, and then a look of satisfaction crossed his face. He then walked away, leaving Davis feeling even more hopeless than before. Could things get any worse?

Yes, they could. And he was just about to find out.

(------)

Aim stared at his mission statement, bored, and jumped into the fastest ship available to him. How annoying. It seemed that all he ever did was "go-fetch" or "go-kill" missions, and nothing was ever new or exciting to him. He rubbed his forehead as he started the engine, wondering why his head hurt so bad. He felt weak, something he knew that he wasn't.

"I'm not weak," he told himself, taking off and flying down toward the planet Earth below. "I am the best in the Universe. And no head ache is going to change that."

He ignored the rest of the pains in his entire body, pains he had no idea where they came from. They felt vaguely familiar, as if he'd felt them before, but figured it could have been something from one of his past ship crashes or something. But there should be no reason for a flare up, right? He ignored it. Sure, his entire body was screaming out in agony, but he didn't care. Nothing kept him from completing his mission. Absolutely nothing.

He piloted the ship through the atmosphere, making sure to keep his ship cloaked from Earth's puny satellites. He was landing in Japan, where this 'digidestined' programmer was supposed to be found. Where he was, he had no idea. All he knew was that all these so called 'digidestined' were gathered together in one hideout, and if he found one, he'd find them all. From what Sgt. Sarnoff had discovered from his prisoner's ramblings, the hideout was at "Izzy's work" or something.

Aim landed the ship in the park, and glanced through his file on Koushiro Izumi, his target. A young man of about 17 years old, who worked with the government. It seemed a bit young for someone working in such an important position, but then according to this report, Koushiro was one of the best, if not THE best. He had been the first source the NW had that there existed a Digital World when the NW were studying the planet, and it was because of him that the operation was as important to the Empire as it was.The nickname "Izzy" appeared on the profile, something useful when looking for "Izzy's work."

Where he worked…now that was something he wasn't sure about just yet. But it could be discovered. Aim had his contacts on earth. And he knew just the one to turn to. He stocked up his supply of weapons, and hurried out of his ship. He walked purposefully, scanning his surroundings carefully. He still had other targets that he had to keep an eye out for, and as he had them all memorized, he didn't have to flip through papers. His brain worked just fine.

Here. He stopped walking. This was where the kid stood when he told Takuya Kanbara about the hideout. Aim's eyes followed the ground carefully, tracking the footsteps of about four people. It seemed people had gone looking for the kid. What was his name? Davis? That's right. Aim followed the trail of four people through the woods, and followed them out to the street.

This was where he had to give up on that idea. You couldn't track people on a street where millions of people walked every day. He sighed, and started walking. He knew he would have to meet up with his contact, and he might as well start now.

A black limo pulled up next to him, and two men in NW uniforms stepped out. "Aim," one of them said urgently. "We require your assistance." He handed Aim a brown envelope, and stared at him sternly. "It's the Package."

Aim stared at the envelope, and searched his brain for a reference to the Package. He couldn't remember anything about it. No…wait…there was something familiar about it. He turned it over and felt along the edge, closing his eyes. He ran his fingers over the surface carefully until he found what he wanted, and opened his eyes. There it was. The mark. His eyebrows furrowed together in thought. He didn't know what the Package was, but he recognized this mark, engraved in the paper.

"Can you open it?" the soldier asked. He sounded impatient.

"Can I open it?" Aim asked, bewildered. His brows furrowed further. "Why?"

The soldier did not answer. Ah. So they couldn't open it. That was strange. Why couldn't they open it? Was there some sort of lock on it? Yes, Aim considered himself smarter that the average person, but what was so hard about opening an envelope? Why did they want him to do it? Was there a special way it had to be opened? He looked down at it again. The only thing that distinguished it as different from any other envelope was the engraved mark, almost too small to be noticed by a normal inspection. He came to the seal and ripped it, opening the Package and dumping its contents into his hands. There was only a disk, and a letter.Well that wasn't so hard.

Before he could do anything else, the soldier took everything away from him, and entered the limo. Without saying thank you, they drove away. Perplexed, Aim began to walk away, heading ever towards the place where he knew his contact would be located. What was this Package? And what was in the letter? Or on the disk? And how on earth did he remember that mark on the envelope? That mark of a circle encasing a dashed line through a four pointed star…

He pushed these thoughts away. He had to focus on his mission, Koushiro Izumi. He could ask questions later.

(------)

"Well, this is a surprise, isn't it?" The General fumed, standing up and dumping Rika to the ground. She lay there, completely terrified. She had been found, and there was no way out for her. For all she knew, she could be punished in the worst ways possible for what she had done.

Swiftly, a security person grabbed her and dragged her to her feet. Rika's hand was clenched to her heart, hiding the D-power that she was sure they would take away. Everyone stared at her, some in awe, some in anger, some apathetically. She didn't know what to do.

"Sir, I have discovered something interesting," a man said. He was sitting in front of a computer. "The shield around the creature is originating from somewhere in this room."

"Is it?" The General turned to look at Rika. "Pull up her file."

Within moments, Rika's "file" turned up on the computer screen. It was a long and detailed history on her, and her eyes widened as she looked at it. She couldn't believe that there _was _such a thing on her! The General glanced through it, and found what he was looking for. Rika's digimon partner.

"Interesting," he said thoughtfully, and then walked over to her. He could see now that she was holding something in her hand. He didn't ask her to give it to him. He simply grabbed her hand and wrenched it away. It took more effort than he would have liked to admit, but she was strong, and she was NOT going to let him take in from her. The struggle was won in the end though, and Rika glared up at him angrily when he had it in his hands.

"That is where the shield is originating," the man at the computer confirmed, a look of curiosity in his eyes. "It might help us solve our problem!" he reached out his hand for it, and the General gave it to him. "I will study it."

"Put the girl in the digital field," the General ordered. "I feel she probably has the ability."

The guard began to drag her backwards. It was at this moment Rika chose to act. Using the martial arts defense moves she had practiced almost every day of her life, she knocked the security to the ground and dove for her D-power. With an amazing stunt, she grabbed it with her right hand, rolled under a desk, and dashed out the door as fast as she could. She had to hide it somewhere. She had to get it away from them. Somehow, she had to do it. She knew they would catch her, but she couldn't let them discover and abuse the power of her D-power, if it had any power left…

She felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, and a dulling sensation began to quickly spread from there into all her limbs. In a desperate effort, she clasped the D-power in her hands as tight as she could, and focused all of her energy into securing it there. She did not catch her fall as she slumped painfully to the floor, nor did she move when more than a few guards came to retrieve her. But she knew without a shadow of a doubt, as her mind began to fade, that they would not be able to wrench the D-power from her hands.

_God, if you are really there…don't let them use this against us…don't let them take it from me…_

(------)

The hideout was no longer silent. Izzy was busy working on a way to help out the kids at the digital world, and Ken was working with him. Yes, Ken was angry at Izzy for what he had done, but his own guilt had still not left him from all those years ago. He felt he had no reason to be angry, and left it at that. For that reason alone, Izzy was not to self conscious about working with him. Everyone else though, they were continually staring accusingly at his back from time to time. And he deserved it. This was all his fault…

Tai and Matt were busy arguing on matters of trust and safety, something both of them had slightly different opinions on. Those two would never cooperate completely. They would always be arguing to the end of their days. At least they were not arguing in a hostile way. That would only make matters worse. Sora was standing next to them both, trying to decide whose side to take. She was generally the peacemaker, but in this instance she didn't know what to say. So she just stood and listened.

Joe and Mimi were also arguing. No one knew why, as the argument was continually changing from subject to subject, and never remained consist enough for one to understand why they were arguing in the first place. It was probably just a way for them to let off some steam. It was an incredibly stressful situation, as it were.

The Tamers, as they called themselves, had drawn away to a far away corner to talk privately. Their conversation was quiet and serious, and often times only one person would talk at a time. The rest would listen quietly, and then another person would talk. It was obvious that there was a much greater understand between them all. Takato was frowning, a look of concern etched into his facial features, as if some part of him thought that Rika's capture had been his fault. But in truth, he couldn't have done anything anyway. Maybe that was why he felt so guilty. Ryo was the one talking now, telling them everything he knew about his dealings with the NW. Rem stayed with him. No one knew what to do with her, and they didn't really like her very much, but she seemed especially interested in the Tamers. It was probably a good thing too. The Tamers were less annoyed having her there.

Then there was Zoe and Kouichi. And that dog over there. Neither of the two people talked, as if both wrapped up in their own thoughts. Kouichi was angry. One could feel the fumes rolling off of him a mile away. There was nothing he could do to rescue his twin, and he knew it. And that was worse than anything he could think of at the moment. Yolei was next to him, talking non stop about random things, and trying to comfort him. It was clear that he had decided to completely ignore her, because she wasn't any help. But she didn't seem to mind at all. The dog observed the entire room, being like…well… a dog. Frankly, he was boring. One would wonder why on earth he happened to be mentioned so often in this story. They'll soon find out.

Everyone else talked or sat in thought, completely oblivious to everyone else. No one had any idea what to do.

TK observed all of this from his corner, pondering everyone's emotions and thoughts. He liked to observe people, and he liked to deduct their feelings from their actions and their experiences. He loved sociology, strange as that may seem, and it was simply a habit he played with when he didn't have anything else to do. He took in a large sigh, and glanced down at his D-3. The message Patamon had sent him was still there.

_Beware, TK. Another battle has begun. But this time, it comes from outside our world. It began with your world, and it must end with you. Stay together, and listen to the words of your companions. And be sure to find out as much as you can about your enemy before trying to fight them. If you hurry into the fight, you will lose. And the hope of our two worlds depend on your survival._

"Depends on _my _survival?" TK asked himself, bewildered. He read the message again, and pondered it carefully. "Why does he say _my _survival? What can I do? I'm just an extra person. I can't do anything special. Izzy and Ken are the smart ones. Tai is the leader. Matt is strong, and capable. Everyone has something to offer. But me…" He sighed and glared at the message. "I have nothing to offer."

"Why do you say that?"

TK looked up to see Kari sitting next to him. He had completely forgotten she was there. "Oh," he said blandly. "Hi." He said nothing else for a while, still reading the message over and over again. It had to have some clue, something to help him out. But it still remained a riddle to him. He wasn't very good with riddles.

"You are the only TK the world will ever know," Kari lectured, setting a hand on his shoulder. "No one can replace you, and no one can offer the same kinds of help that you can offer. You are the only one. Do you understand that?"

TK smiled at her, giving a half-hearted chuckle. "You picked that one up from Tai," he commented.

Kari blushed. "Well, he always does know what to say. Beats me how he does it. I guess he just has a gift of encouragement. But yes, it's something he's said to me before. To me, and to everyone else who goes through the same kinds of feelings." She stared at TK challengingly. "But he's right."

TK sighed and frowned. "Maybe," he offered, still doubtful. It was nice to hear something like that, and it was easy to agree, but it was hard to believe it. Maybe he was the only TK the world would ever see. But he was the only one who had nothing to offer.

"It began with your world, and it must end with you…" Kari read, glancing at the message. "Well, we understand the first part. 'It started with your world' is talking about Izzy, and his accidental encounter with the NW. The second part is trickier. It's ambiguous. It could either mean it has to end with us, here on our world, or it has to end with you personally." She glanced up at TK. "Your message is less clear than the ones everyone else received. It's like a riddle."

"I know. I hate riddles." TK glanced at it. "But maybe there is something hidden here that we can use to our advantage."

"Maybe it's a map. Maybe it hides the answer we're looking for, the way to win out in the end." Kari grinned, looking hopeful. "It's worth looking into, isn't it?"

TK nodded, not sure he needed to say anything at all. The two of them got to work reading through the message and discovering the literal meaning behind it. He glanced at a desk next to him, slightly distracted, and then his eyes widened with surprise.

On the desk lay a pad of paper, a messy diagram scribbled out on the first page. He stood up and walked over to it, picking it up in his hands. It had been the very diagram Davis had scribbled out before getting kidnapped. TK stared at it guiltily. Everything Davis had spelled out was true. Even before he had known anything at all, he had been right the entire time.

"Davis," TK sighed. "I wonder what's happening to him. I wonder if he's alright. What if I never see him again?" He suddenly realized how much he missed Davis. He'd always just taken him for granted. He was always there, being exciting and ridiculous when TK needed cheering up, or being the one who slapped him back to reality when he was feeling hopeless. But he had never stopped to think about what would happen if Davis suddenly left and never came back. "I miss him."

Kari came and stood next to him, the same look TK was feeling in her eyes. "Yeah," she agreed sadly. "And I'm scared."

Neither of them wanted to think about the possibility of Davis never coming back.

(------)

Kouji and Takuya stood next to Renamon, where she sat crouched on the ground. During the scan, something strange had happened. A shield had appeared around her, protecting her. She had been stunned at first, but then a trusting look entered her eyes. "Rika," she whispered, sounding relieved. It was as if her worst fears had been blocked out, like a child when their mother rescues them from a nightmare and holds them close. Renamon was safe from the scan, and she knew exactly why. "I was afraid…but I knew you would be there for me…"

Kouji stared at her quietly, pondering. He had been aware of the shield. In fact, it seemed almost familiar to him. He just wasn't able to place how or why. The bond she shared with her partner, it was unique. It had been tested by time and distance, and still both remained true to each other. He was impressed, and even challenged by it. It was what a true partnership should look like, and he wondered to himself if Lobomon felt the same way about him.

Suddenly, a strange feeling washed over him, a feeling of dejavu. He had felt this bond before! He closed his eyes, trying to place it, and felt a memory come back to him.

…

_Susanoomon examined the data he had recovered, astounded at the great amount. There was so much! Without Lucemon as a separate being, there was enough for two digital worlds here! It was his job to put the world back the way it was, and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to do it right._

"_Wait are we waiting for?" Takuya's voice echoed in Kouji's head impatiently. "We've been all over the digital world. We know where it goes. Besides, the data speaks for itself. It's still alive. It will know where to go."_

_Kouji nodded, and stretched out his hand. Together, he and Takuya sent out the data, creating the digital world as best they could. Though no one was there to tell them what to do, they knew they still had a guide. The legendary warriors were helping them correct the world as it should be._

_When the world was finished, and the digimon reappeared as digi-eggs, Susanoomon then examined the lost data they had recovered. It was fragmented, broken, and scattered. Some of it could not be made together again. Some of it was practically screaming to return to its natural form. Especially one digimon. This was one they had never seen before. An extinct form of digimon whose kind had long ago mutated into something else and would never again be counted as regular digimon, was still striving to exist, even as scattered as it was. Kouji could feel something binding it together, a will that not even the stretch of time could severe. _

_They managed to restore the data to its original form, and proudly placed the last renamon to ever exist, in the digital world. There would never be another renamon, as that kind of digimon was now extict, but something told Kouji that this particular digimon had a reason for living, and nothing was going to stop it from thriving. For that reason, he felt appreciation for it. Life was such a beautiful thing._

"_I'm glad we could return her to the way she was," Takuya said with a sigh._

_Kouji nodded. So was he._

…

"It's her," Takuya said, echoing the thoughts that were going through Kouji's head. "She's the one, the last renamon!"

Renamon looked up, a question in her eyes. "I do not understand," she said quietly. Her eyes narrowed. Somehow, these humans were familiar to her. And yet she didn't know why.

"Renamon," Kouji said seriously, appreciation on his face and in his voice. "I know now why you refused to die, why when your data was scattered and broken, you continued to hold on. It's the same reason why you will not get destroyed by this enemy, even if they do manage to scan you." He smiled a genuine smile that would kill any girl who happened to see it. "It's because you have someone worthy enough to be your partner." His smile faded, and his head dropped. "I only wish that I could have the same kind of bond with Lobomon."

Renamon stood up. Although Kouji could no longer see the shield around her, he knew it was still there. "You know me," she said, bewildered, "but I do not know you. Now tell me more about yourself. You were the Legendary Warrior Lobomon's partner?"

Kouji nodded, and then looked up at her. "Please," he said urgently. "Will you help me find him?"

Renamon simply shook her head. "I cannot. If he is here, he will hear your heart calling. And if he does not, then you were not meant to be partners." With that particularly burning statement, she ignored the two boys, and stared off into nowhere with a frown. "Rika is in trouble," she said angrily, furious that she could not help. Then her eyes widened. "They have placed her in the digital field! She is here!"

Kouji and Takuya were suddenly left alone, as Renamon vanished completely, speeding off to where her loyal partner was located. Then they turned to stare at one another. Kouji could see the same pain on Takuya's face that he himself was feeling.

"Do you think…I really wasn't meant to be his partner?" Takuya asked, his voice sounding weak. It was like someone had taken a knife and cut right into his heart. He dropped his head and clenched his hands, trembling slightly from held in emotion, and then his head shot up again in determination. "No," he said firmly. "I know that's not true. I can still feel him, and I know that he would not have chosen me if I weren't meant to be his partner." A half-smile flickered across his face. "Even if he has already been scanned, and I failed to protect him, I know that he's still there for me, as I am still here for him."

Kouji stared at him quietly, and then lost himself in his own thoughts. Takuya was always so sure. He always had that easy confidence, that no-doubting kind of trust that made it possible for him to keep going and believing in people. It didn't come that naturally to Kouji. Where Takuya had confidence, Kouji had doubts that he hid under the surface. Kouji had always been self sufficient, and never liked to depend on anyone. Was that how he had viewed Lobomon as well? Did Lobomon consider him as just a tool, and not a partner? Was their relationship really that shallow?

His heart suddenly felt a whole lot heavier. Takuya had never stopped believing in Agunimon, and in Agunimon's trust in himself. Even if the entire group did not have hope, Takuya still did. It was his gift. The only time Takuya himself had ever given up, Agunimon had come and proven him wrong. He had come and proven that together, they would be able to win. And although Lobomon had come to Kouji, perhaps it wasn't quite the same as it had been for Takuya.

"No," he said quietly. "She's right. I haven't ever been the partner I should have been." He squeezed his eyes shut, ashamed. "Lobomon was an asset, not a friend. He was a friend, not a best friend. Our partnership wasn't as deep. I…" his voice faltered. "I failed him. That's why I can't feel him now. I almost forgot him when I came home from the digital world. All I cared about was Kouichi. I didn't remember him until…" he too clenched his hands to his fists, and sank down to a kneel. A single tear traveled slowly down his cheek. "Lobomon…" he called, his voice sorry and hopeless. "I'm sorry. You've done so much for me, and I never cared as much as I should have. For that, I have failed you. Please…forgive me."

Takuya reached out a hand to place on Kouji's shoulder, and then thought better of it. He had known Kouji long enough to have learned that in times like these, Kouji didn't want a hug. He wanted silence. But he didn't want to be alone. An so Takuya stood there, near enough for Kouji to feel his presence, and yet not disturb him. It was comforting.

"If you can hear me, please…give me another chance. I don't want to lose you…I want to be there for you, just as you have been there for me…"

Kouji felt Takuya stiffen, and his hair stood on end. Something was happening. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked up. Standing before him was the last person he had expected to see.

"Lobomon…" Kouji whispered, hanging his head in shame. He didn't even know what else to say.

(------)

McDowen paced back and forth, angry and annoyed. Things were getting worse, not better. Everything was becoming more complicated, not more smoothed out. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be!

As for the girl, Rika, she had become more of a problem in just the last few minutes. It was great that she turned up again, and her presence answered some questions, but in the end it only seemed to raise more. They had almost not been able to get her device from her hands, she had been holding it so tight. But with the help of their specialists, they had managed to make her let go. Now the only problem was figuring it out.

He had the top scientists in the universe, and still they couldn't tell him what the device was, and why or how it could put that kind of shield over the creature. But it did answer one question at least. It only put a shield around one digimon, not all of them. So the testing could continue.

A runner came to him with a message, and he took it sourly. He had too many responsibilities. He wished he could just throw them off onto someone else. He glanced through it. Ah. So Sgt. Sarnoff had discovered some clues that led to the hideout. They were small and barely enough, but they were leading in the right direction. Sighing, he nodded to the runner and let him go. Before he had time to do anything else, a message arrived for him from one of his patrols on the planet.

"General," the patrol leader said through the com. "We have recovered the Package."

The General stopped his pacing, frozen in spot. "And?" he demanded, barely allowing himself to hope.

"And although we were unable to open it, Aim was."

The General nodded. That could only mean one thing. It truly was the Package they had been looking for. "How did he open it?"

"We're not sure. He just did. I am sure he will have some questions when he returns to you. But I have some more good news."

"More?" the General chuckled. "Is that possible?"

There was a short pause, indicating that the patrol leader had guessed that not everything had been going smoothly. "Yes, sir. We picked up a prisoner."

"Another one of those kids?"

"No, sir. Better."

The General waited impatiently.

"Dannflorr Albrite."

That made McDowen's eyebrows rise in surprise. A smile spread onto his face, and he sat down in a chair, relieved. His fears had been erased. They didn't have a time limit any longer. The two threats that could stop them from taking the planet had been eliminated. Stardashcircle's Package, and Stardashcircle's son. Maybe this day would turn out alright after all.

"We will win," he sighed, saying it more for himself than for his men. "There is nothing to stop us now."

He turned and glanced at the research on the digital world, and slight frown creasing his brow. Or was there?

(------)

Oh my gosh, am I finished? Did I cover everything I wanted to for the chapter? Really? WOW! Thanks God! That's a load off my chest. I've been trying to update this for so long! I started it in Japan, and continued it at home and at camping, and now finished it in college.

Well what do you think? Yeah, it's a mess. And I can't possibly put everything I want to put in because then the chapters would be so long they'd kill you. So yeah, if you want me to write more about a specific person, and less about someone else, tell me. It will help. I can make the story continue even if I didn't write about anyone but Izzy, for example. Or someone else. Yeah. Well, I enjoy writing, and I hope you enjoy reading.

God bless you all, I will update as God gives me time. But encouragement (ahem…reviews) will encourage me to go faster.

Until next time..,

-Rika195


	12. Chapter 12

**Stardashcircle--------chapter 12**

Once again, (as you'll have noticed if you read my latest chapter of Frontier Meets Everyone Else), I am too lazy to respond individually to each and every review. Well, I guess I could, since I only got FOUR! (--grumbling because there are 7 people who faved this story and 11 who put it on alerts--) But instead I'll say that I am disappointed that you 11 people who say this story get updated DID NOT REVIEW IT! How saddening, I tell you. Very sad indeed.

THANK YOU: **Tremble Wolf** (my bro), **black peeches** (my friend who reads everything I write), **KARASU25** (who is always faithful), and **Kouzumi93** (who is one of my favorite readers). You four are my favorites of all time, and I owe this story's survival to you! Thank you for your reviews, and I hope that you will continue to do so. You guys rocks!

Everyone else…………….just review okay? I know you're reading this.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: Must I say one again? Oh alright. I don't own Digimon. I simply write fanfiction. I cannot claim it, and I cannot do it justice. But I do love it. Thank God it exists for my adoration. Yay!

* * *

Dann stared at door, his eyes narrow and a scowl upon his face. He was sitting in a chair in front of a desk in an empty room, and his hands were tied behind his back. After a minute of nothing happening, he dropped his head on the desk in front of him and groaned loudly.

"This is insane," he said, speaking to no one in particular. He almost wished someone was there to hear him.

All his life he had been running from something he didn't understand. His father was killed, his mother and brother were kidnapped, and quite possibly killed as well, while he was forced to live in many different foster homes. His life was a mess, and he was sure that everyone knew more about who he was than he knew himself. And that seemed to be true with the people he'd known all his life.

When he had gotten a letter that said he must come retrieve a Package of the utmost importance, he had almost been thrilled. And he had hurried to do so. But ever since he had gotten it in his hands, things started going crazy. For one, the person who gave it to him had been killed. For another, he had gotten kidnapped by alien soldiers. He had been ordered NEVER to open the Package, and while he was tied up in the limo the soldiers had tried to open it in vain. So it seemed that the Package did not want to be opened.

But then someone had opened it, and now it was in the hands of the enemy.

"My head hurts just thinking about all this," Dann complained. "What does it mean? A Package that shouldn't be opened is now opened. These alien soldiers know my full name and I don't even know who they are. And now I'm in an interrogation room, but no one is here to question me!" He lifted his head and continued to glare at the door. "I think I'm going to die from unanswered questions."

However, no one was able to answer him, because no one was there.

* * *

"I don't like this," General McDowen hissed, pacing back and forth. His men watched him quietly, not sure whether he was just being anxious, or if there was something they really should worry about. "We have taken apart Rika's device and taken the digital shield away from the fox digimon. But we still can't continue scanning. Why?"

"Sir, I might be able to explain," one of the younger officers said briskly. He pointed to his computer screen. "The Digital World itself changed slightly, as if it became slightly more physical than just data. Therefore, it cannot be scanned. At first, we didn't know why. But now we do." He clicked a few buttons on his keyboard, and brought up the digital field wherein they kept all the captured digimon, Kouji Minamoto, Takuya Kanbara, and Rika Makino. "As soon as we placed those kids in the field, the field changed slightly, in the same way the data of the Digital World changed. It altered slightly so it could support human life. Because of that, we cannot continue scanning."

McDowen stared at him in surprise, and cracked a slight smile. "Soldier I think you've just earned your pay for the week." The young officer looked pleased. "I think you have a very good point, but I think we need to do some tests just to make sure."

"Very well, Sir. What do you propose?"

"Take the prisoners out of the field, and see if it allows us to scan."

In a few seconds, there was a flash of light, and three youths were spit out of the field into the room where they were standing. All three of them stood up abruptly, Rika glaring about her as if she was ready to kill. She had tears in her eyes, but she was not the only one. Kouji was crying openly, something McDowen was sure he would never see. And vaguely, he wondered why. Takuya on the other hand, was standing with his arms crossed, and smirk on his face. It was as if he knew something that no one else knew.

"Sir, scanning has been restored to us. Would you like to scan?"

McDowen breathed in, thinking. Finally he exhaled and said, "no." Then he turned and looked down at the officer. "Can anyone enter the digital field?"

"No, sir. It is impossible for a human to enter the digital field."

"Then why could they enter it?"

For a moment, there was an expression of loss on the officer's face. Then he bit his lip and frowned. "Perhaps there is something different about them."

"And perhaps not. Test it. Try to send a different officer into the field. Gordon, you will volunteer." He pointed to a sour-looking officer whom he did not like very much, who in turn scowled at his commanding officer and simply nodded. And in a moment, the test was being completed. Gordon waited for something to happen, but instead of being uploaded into the digital field, he was simply shocked rather brutally. McDowen shrugged and turned back to the programmer officer. "I guess you're right. Let's try something else. Upload the prisoners back into the field."

The young officer did so, glancing at the three kids briefly before they vanished. Kouji had managed to stop his tears, and was now glaring at everybody. Rika continued to glare, and Takuya continued to smile. And his smile was slightly unnerving.

"Now try to upload Gordon," McDowen ordered, once they had vanished. Gordon looked at him in surprise, but no one argued. His orders were carried out without question. A couple of computer clicks later, Gordon vanished entirely. Everyone started, and turned to look at McDowen. He looked at the computer. "Is he in?"

The programmer nodded, his eyebrows raised high. "Yes," he stated in surprise. "He is."

"Good, take him out." This was done quickly, and everyone turned to stare at their General with waiting expressions. They wanted to know what his conclusion was. "Do you know what this means?" He stated loudly, looking at every officer in the room. "It means that on the Digital World, right now, are humans." He smirked and clasped his hands behind his back, as if pleased with himself. "We are looking for a hideout where the digidestined are hiding, and we were looking for it on Earth. However, there are digidestined on the Digital World. We have just seen that the only way into a digital world or plane is through a computer. My conclusion is that they have a decoy hideout, a room or building with a computer, and they simply entered the Digital World from there."

He was pleased when no one argued his theory. In fact, it was met with approval from everyone.

"What do you suppose we do then?" Another officer asked expectantly. "We need to continue scanning to complete our weapon. Once we complete it, the digidestined will be of no threat to us."

"Neither will the Package, or Stardashcircle's son," McDowen added. "But here is my solution. We must locate the exact whereabouts of the Digital World, and send a ship. We will kidnap the digidestined, bring them back, and then finish scanning. We will crush them in one swift movement." He turned and began to walk out, feeling pleased with himself. "You all are doing marvelously. We are almost through with the most difficult mission the Empire has ever placed on us. And when we are done, you will all be rewarded." And with that, he walked out.

* * *

Back at the hideout, the underground, undercover, government-issue research lab where Izzy worked…

…Everything was a mess. Tai, Matt, and Izzy were talking in private, trying to decide what the best thing to do was. Ken was furiously typing up a program to spy on their enemy, and was not getting as far as he wanted to. He did not want to admit that it was virtually impossible without some way of contacting the enemy. TK and Kari was still in the corner, talking about what the key to the problem might be, while the rest of the original digidestined simply sat in a circle and argued over everything they were doing wrong and not doing to help.

"With so many people all arguing, we wont ever come to a solution," Ryo stated wryly, watching everything with half-closed eyes. He was sitting with his group in a corner, so that they could have some space to think.

"I say that Tai is doing the right thing, though," Takato said thoughtfully, running his fingers through his chocolate-brown hair. He was leaning against the wall, sighing to himself every now and then, and was constantly sneaking glances at Ryo's silver forearm. "But I just think that we are not in a very good place. I mean, yeah this is a government hideout, but it's just not good if we aren't able to man it. Only Izzy and Ken seem to know how to work anything down here, and even then they couldn't protect us if someone managed to sneak in with a gun or something!"

"You're right," Ryo agreed. He crossed his arms and tried to hide his mechanical arm. It was making him self-conscious. "We need a more defensible hideout…somewhere where no one will think to look…somewhere secret. Only I can't think of any place like that in Japan."

The Tamers all pondered this problem for a bit, and continued to look around at everyone else. "You know," Jeri said gently, placing a hand to her chin as she thought. "Everyone here seems to think that they can handle it, and they everyone else is simply just another person who needs to have a place to hide. But the messages we received insisted that we had to stay together, and that the only way we could succeed is if we stuck together."

"Yeah," Kenta agreed. "I think that means that even though we feel useless, there is still something we can do to save our skins, that only we Tamers can do!"

"Hey, that's cool," Kazu grinned, then grew serious again. "But what?"

"I just can't help but worry about Rika," Henry sighed. Ryo, you said she was captured?" Ryo nodded gravely, and Henry gave another sigh. "And I'm also worried about Suzie. I wonder if she's safe…if she's okay."

"She'll be fine," Takato commented quietly. "She is perfectly able to take care of herself, and she'll be around people who can protect her. My cousin Jeremiah for one, and Kenta's sister Kariko for another."

"One of my sisters, you mean," Kenta corrected. He grinned from ear to ear. "I have about 30, you know." He suddenly gasped and covered his mouth. "Oh no, do you think they're in danger?"

"Maybe," Ryo answered truthfully, and was given glares by everyone else to shut up. "Maybe not," he said quickly. But in all truth, they probably were. "But Kenta had a point earlier. There is something that we are able to do. And I think that something is finding a better hideout and a way to get there."

"But where can we find such a hideout?" Takato asked. He was not complaining. He was asking it because he was thinking it, and he wanted to find the answer. But he was startled when someone stepped out of the shadows into their circle.

"I know," she said, smirking. She crossed her arms, and grinned down at them triumphantly. "I have the perfect place. Let me tell you about it." Rem sat down next to Takato and began to explain.

Even Ryo was forced to see that it was perfect.

"The only question is, how do we get there?" he asked, bringing up a serious point.

Rem grinned again, and waved her hand dismissively. "I'll call my brother and he'll send a cloaked ship. The NW would even know. Besides, think of it as a thank you for giving my back my disc…oh and by the way, you didn't steal any information, did you?" she glared at Ryo suspiciously.

"No," Ryo promised. "I read the contact phone numbers because I wanted to know if you were in contact with the NW, but since you're not I deemed you trustworthy. And I have already erased that memory from my arm. I did not look at anything else."

Rem glared at him for a long time, and then shrugged. "I am incredibly lucky someone like you found it," she admitted. "If it had been anyone else, I'd have been screwed."

Takato stood, and motioned for Rem to stand as well. "Come on," he ordered. "Tai is in charge of all of us, and we have to tell him exactly what you have told us. We should hurry while we still have time, too. I don't know if you guys can feel it, but something is nagging at the back of my mind. I think…I think that something horrible is coming our way, but I can't say what it is."

"Yeah," Henry agreed darkly. He narrowed his eyes. "I agree."

Takato and Rem walked over to where Tai was having his private meeting.

* * *

"…I see what you're saying, Izzy," Tai whispered, rubbing his over-heated forehead and wishing he had brought advil with him. "I just don't think you're right."

"Tai, listen to me. I made contact with them once before! Now all we need is for me to make contact with them once again so that Ken can install a program to spy on them! We have to do this!"

Matt slammed his hand down on the desk next to him adamantly. "Izzy, just because you feel guilty doesn't mean you need to sacrifice your safety and ours for this program of Kens. We don't even know if the program will work!"

"But it's the only option we've got." Izzy was clenching his fingers into his palms, almost tight enough to cause bleeding. "We can't fight them, and we can't help the digital world. And yet somehow, we're supposed to stop all this and make everything right again. I don't see how we can even think about doing that unless we first get inside information. We have to know what we're up against, and how much they know!"

Tai groaned loudly and grabbed his head. "My gosh, Izzy! We're just teenagers!" he grabbed his hair between his fingers and clenched his teeth, his eyes closed in frustrations. "This is sounding like a war movie or something!"

Izzy sighed, releasing his fingers from their clamped position, and seated himself in a chair. "I know…I'm sorry. I've worked with the government before, so I am at least prepared to deal with something like this. But you're right. We shouldn't have to go though something like this. But face it Tai…the rest of the world has no idea what's going on. We are the only ones who can stop this."

"Kind of ironic, isn't it?" Matt snapped. He crossed his arms. "We can't give away our position. We can't let you turn yourself in. They'll see right through it."

"Or if we get lucky, they'll think we're stupid and come and get us," Izzy added.

"And then everyone will get captured and the game is over. We lose." Tai released his hair and glared at both his friends. "That isn't good enough! We need a better answer!"

"Um…excuse me Tai?"

The three members of the argument turned to see Takato and Rem standing close to them. "What is it?" Tai asked, slightly annoyed.

"Well…" Takato took a deep breath and began to explain. "This hideout is not sufficient, and we Tamers…plus Rem…have thought of a solution. We need a new hideout, and I fear we need it soon because something tells me we've been found."

"Where are we going to find a better hideout than this?" Izzy countered. "There isn't one that we have access to in all of Japan!"

"Well, that's where I come in…" Rem leaned forward to whisper he solution, describing every detail that proved it was perfect. Then she leaned back and waited for their response.

They stared at her with wide eyes. "That's impossible," Matt spoke first. He frowned. "How would we get there?"

"I have a cloaked ship, which means the NW cannot see it or find it. It can take all of us there." Rem waited for their response.

"A cloaked ship?" Izzy repeated, stunned. He thought about this for a moment, and then turned to Tai. "Can we talk privately?"

Tai thanked Takato and Rem, and promptly shooed them away. He turned back to Izzy. "Okay speak."

Izzy did. "It's perfect," he began. "We send everyone there, and meanwhile, I will stay here and make contact with the NW. Then I will come after you guys. Ken will be able to install the program, and we will have inside information! But at the same time, we will all be safe, and they couldn't possibly find us. They would have no reason to even think about the new hideout, and even if they did, they would dismiss it at once!"

Matt and Tai both looked iffy about that, and said so. But after a few more arguments, they both realized that Izzy had made up his mind. And they could not argue either. As much as they didn't want to see their friend put in danger, they could find no other choice. They had to act, and they had to act soon.

"Very well," Tai sighed, turned around. "Everyone, listen up!" He was relieved when everyone instantly stopped talking to listen to him, even Mimi and Yolei. "We're moving to a new hideout. Stay quiet, and do as we say. We'll explain everything later." He turned to Rem. "Get us on that ship."

Rem grinned and clicked a button on her helmet that she wore. "David?" There was a muffled "yeah?" in response. "Send the fastest, most invisible ship to this location. Oh, and make sure it's the big one."

David on the other end gave a loud laugh. "See?" he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "It's just like I said. Everything happens in Japan."

Rem rolled her eyes and sighed. "Just get it over here."

"I'll bring it myself. I'm faster than an autopilot anyway. Oh, and Rem?"

"What?"

"Dad knows."

Rem paled slightly, and then a smile of relief filled her face. "Good," she admitted. "I was going to tell him anyway. How mad is he?"

"He scheduled a ball for when you return."

Rem grimaced, and then suddenly grinned. "Oh good! That's perfect."

There was a pause on the other end. "Do I even want to know?" Davis asked finally. Then he laughed. "I'll know soon enough. I'll be there in a minute."

And true to his word, David was on the top of the building in just over sixty seconds.

"Come on," Tai ordered. "Everyone, we're going to go to the ship."

And with that, he had Matt lead everyone to the roof for boarding.

* * *

"I don't like it," Rika spat, glaring at the whiteness around her. She, Kouji, and Takuya were sitting down near each other. It was easy to get lost in the fog, and difficult to find one another, so they tried to stay as hear each other as they could. Renamon was not with them at the moment, but Rika had called her, and knew that she would come as soon as she could. "They discovered something really big, I think."

"But just what did they discover?" Kouji asked. He was rubbing his eyes and staring anxiously into the fog, waiting for Lobomon to emerge again. He had only just seen his digimon partner, only to get sucked away from him again.

"I don't know, but I think they know why they can't scan, and now they're going to find the solution to their problem. They're probably going to be able to continue scanning the Digital World pretty soon." Rika huffed and closed her eyes, shivering. "It's cold in here."

"I'd say it's warm," Takuya mumbled. He was lying down beside Kouji, his hands behind his head. A playful smirk was on his face.

"What's your problem?" Kouji glared at him. "You've been grinning like that ever since Lobomon showed up."

"A little before, actually, but you were too busy crying." Takuya avoided a half-hearted punch from Kouji, and sat up. "But maybe that's just because I know something you guys don't."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" Rika snapped. She was getting edge, and constantly glancing behind her. "It is really freezing in here…"

Kouji raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. So Takuya leaned forward as if he had a great secret to tell. "I have some good news," he stated, whispering. "I can't believe I didn't know it until now!"

"What?" Kouji asked, getting annoyed that he wasn't getting to the point.

"Agunimon has been scanned…deleted." He looked saddened, and then brightened. "But…he managed to send his spirit over to me before he was completely scanned. And you know what that means…"

"You can spirit evolve?" Kouji asked, his voice dropping to a whisper, and his eyebrows reaching for the sky. He almost looked jealous. "But…you don't have your D-tector. They took it from you!"

"No they didn't. I hid it. See?" he pulled it out of a secret pocket in his cargo pants, and grinned widely. "Next time they pull us out of here to continue scanning, we've got a weapon against them!"

Rika shivered, staring from one boy to the other. "I don't understand," she stated. "What is spirit evolving?"

"Takuya can turn into Agunimon," Kouji stated it simply so she could understand. Then he gazed out into the whiteness. "Lobomon…where are you?" He closed his eyes. "I want to talk to you."

Suddenly, Rika gasped and stood up, running behind Kouji and Takuya and cowering behind them. Before anyone could ask her what was wrong, she pointed into the whiteness and hissed, "IceDevimon!"

Kouji and Takuya suddenly became very serious.

And IceDevimon stepped out of the fog. "Well hello again," he stated, grinning wickedly. "What are you so afraid of? I'm captured here just as you are."

"Yeah, but the last time we say you, you tried to kill us and eat out data," Takuya pointed out. "We have a reason to be hesitant about how um…trustworthy you are."

"Pish-posh," IceDevimon declared, spreading his torn wings. "I simply came because I heard voices, and it is incredibly lonely and chilling in this digital field. Wouldn't you say, Rika?"

Rika glared at him, but she was shaking slightly. Only Kouji heard her whisper Renamon's name pleadingly.

"Well, sit down and try not to freeze us, and don't try anything," Takuya ordered. He turned to look at Kouji and Rika. "It's not like he's our enemy. We're on the same side, you know." He walked closer to IceDevimon, clearly not worried about his presence, and struck up a conversation about random subjects. IceDevimon was only too willing to oblige, as if hoping to prove to the others he meant no harm.

And even though both Kouji and Rika sat down again a little behind Takuya, Kouji did not lower his guard, and Rika did not stop shaking.

"Come on Lobomon," he thought to himself. "Where are you?"

But neither Lobomon nor Renamon appeared through the fog.

* * *

"Thank you for coming," Aim stated, standing rigidly before a dark-clothes youth the same age as himself. "I have a mission for you."

"And I am eager to hear it," the one clothed in black answered, his dark eyes watching Aim carefully. Although he bore no weapons and wore simple black leggings, boot, tunic, and belt, there was an aura about him that was dangerous as death itself. "You have always paid well."

"Yes, and your service has always been excellent." Aim nodded, and then clasped his hands behind his back casually. "Listen carefully, mercenary. I am looking for Koushiro Izumi, or Izzy by nick name. I must bring him in."

"I have heard of him, through my many contacts," the mercenary nodded. "A computer programmer, and one of the best. He works for the government secretly, but only works in one building."

"Perfectly. According to my information, there is a hideout at "Izzy's Work." Do you think you can find that for me?"

"Of course. I can take you there, if you like."

Aim smiled with satisfaction. "Not today. I want you to go, and find this Izzy person. If the others are there, you are to detain them from leaving. Koushiro though, you must leave to me. Send me a message when you find him, and I will come. Don't let him escape. I will come later."

"I understand," the mercenary nodded. He cocked his head, raising an eyebrow. "You look tired. Life been treating you well?"

"That's not for you to know, is it?" Aim scowled, and then crossed his arms. "Go now while I'm still willing to pay you."

"Standard payment procedure, I suppose," the mercenary mused. "You still don't want the Empire to know I'm working for you?"

"If they found out, you'd be less effective, now wouldn't you?"

The mercenary grinned. "And they'd place a tax on my earnings. No, I prefer to remain anonymous."

"Good." Aim waved his hand, dismissing him, and the mercenary left quickly. Then he seated himself on the hotel bed he had rented, and groaned loudly. After a couple of moments, he was able to lower himself down to lying on the mattress, and begin to relax the muscles in his body.

He was aching and hurting all over, and the pain was nearly suffocating him. He had no idea what it was from, but something in his mind refused to let him think about it, as if he refused to accept that he was in pain at all. He simply couldn't understand it. He closed his eyes, opting to sleep for a little bit. He probably had at least five minutes to rest…

"No," he said out loud, after a long drawn out silence. "Life is not treating me well." And with that, he slipped into a restless, painful sleep.

* * *

Sorry it's short. That's all for now, but the more exciting stuff is yet to come. And you have no idea. Haha. Simply no idea.

Okay, since this story has 11 people who have placed it on alert, I expect at least 11 reviews. If I don't get them, I'll be sad.

But that's about it…I wont get mad, just sad. Heh. Don't get mad, get glad!

Er….I don't own that….

Please review? Please? PLEASE?

Thanks! God bless you all, and until next time…….

--rika195


	13. Chapter 13

**Stardashcircle**---------------------Chapter 13!

Sup peoples? Last chapter was by far one of the best chapters, and I still only got 5 reviews. Oh well. Thanks so much! You guys rock!

**THANK YOU**: **Kouzumi93**, **Tshk**, **Neopets Freak**, **Rael-Lirdu**, **black peeches**, and **Tremble Wolf** for your reviews! I have a few things to say in reply to your reviews…..

**First**: Why thank you! You all are so encouraging, and I love your critiques more than your complements. You guys always say such awesome things. You rock!

**Second**: Yes, Tshk, it is who you think it is, and yes IceDevimon makes a VERY interesting plot edition. Hehehe! Just you wait for confusion of a lifetime!

**And Finally**: Kouji is not a weakling. Neither is Rika. K? Remember that. However, THEY'RE HUMAN! So they have HUMAN reactions to things. Get used to the fact that I make the people I write about as real as I can without making them lose their character. So……critiques are great!

And to the rest of you all……..thanks for reading! But…..I'll never know what you think if you don't tell me. That's what the REVIEW button is for!!!!

(------)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Advil, Glad, Claritin, Light sabers, and other small things like Digimon. Lol. Yeah. Sorry. I'm trying to be creative. (Shut up Toni)

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"That is how we want it! That is how we need it! Something's got a hold of…people in the corners…don't you see it? Can't you feel it?"

"Kazu, please stop singing," Kenta sighed, pushing hair out of his face. He watched his steps carefully, wondering why he had to be stuck in the middle of the entire group of digidestined. He hated being stuck in the middle of everyone, because it reminded him too much of being surrounded by his 30-some sisters at home.

Kazu, his best friend, ignored his request and kept singing the techno song that was going through his head. His hands were behind his head as if he really didn't care about the dire situation everyone was in. At least that was how he looked to people who didn't know him as well as Kenta did. The reality was that Kazu was scared out of his wits, that they wouldn't be able to save the world this time. So he was singing to get his mind off of it.

Eventually, Kenta made it to the top of all the stairs, to the very top of the building. Just as everyone else, he made his way from the stairs so that others could keep coming up, and stared at a young man about Tai's age who waited for them alone on the roof. Of a large ship, there was no sign. But Rem had asked for an invisible one, so Kenta wasn't worried. He just didn't want to think about how strange the situation was right now. He just didn't have the heart to. After all, he was worried about his family.

"Sup David?" Rem asked, walking forward the instant she came up the steps. Her face was solemn, and she walked up to him with a walked that screamed out "DANGER!" She stopped walking when she came up to him, and offered him a hug….and then punched him in the gut.

David, surprisingly, only laughed outright and picked her up over his head, twirling her like she was a rag-doll or something. She screamed and yelled, but David ignored her, opting instead to throw her in the air behind him. She landed with a triple flip and a furious glare on something that was definitely metal, but definitely invisible. "Nice to see you too," he called.

"Jerk," Rem rolled her eyes. "The Ball was your idea, wasn't it?"

"I thought you said it was perfect," David reminded. He turned to stare at the digidestined with raised eyebrows. "Wow, there are a lot of you. What's going on?"

"Can we talk when we get back to your place?" Tai asked, rubbing his forehead. "I feel exposed."

"Yeah, sure. And don't worry about my little sister," David smiled and clicked a button on the wristband around his wrist. A door in the air suddenly opened, leading into the invisible ship. "She likes to act tough, but really she's a sweetie."

"I am not," Rem scowled, leaping down and landing easily. She glared at him angrily, but there was no real anger or hate in her eyes. It was just a game."

"Hop aboard," David called, stepping aside. "And make it fast. Rem? Lead the way."

Rem nodded, then stepped onto the ramp. But instantly she pulled away, her body tense.

From where he stood, Kenta felt a gripping fear take over him, and he couldn't move. Neither could any of the other digidestined. They simply stared, shocked, as a man robed in black suddenly appeared on the ramp, blocking the way into the ship. A hood covered the top of his face, but a tattoo that decorated his chin and left side of his jaw was visible. His held a short, thick, metal stick in front of him, horizontal to the ground. He was in fighting position.

"Count Midias," Rem growled. "What are YOU doing here?"

"What? Count Midias?" David was the only one who didn't look concerned. "What are you doing here? You're in school just like Rem. You can't go on missions!" He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "What's your deal here?"

"That's none of your concern," Count Midias replied evenly. His voice was low, but it was pretty clear that he was the same age as Rem and the younger Digidestined. Kenta found himself wishing he could see his eyes, and wondered why it was bugging him.

"Well actually it is, because you're trying to stop us." Rem glared at him. "Go home, Count."

Count Midias stiffened, as if Rem's words had hit a sensitive spot. "No." He stood up taller. "You cannot leave here."

"Yes we can," David pointed out. "There are almost 30 of us, and only one of you. And besides that, you are not old enough to be on any missions on your own. But I am. So I can report you, and have you kicked out of school forever. Is that what you want?"

Count Midias was still stiff, not moving.

David turned to Tai, raising his eyebrow again. "Well?" he asked. Then he walked casually toward the youth robed in black, making no move to either attack or defend. He walked up the ramp, his eyes trained on the young man, and walked past him into the ship. Count Midias did nothing to stop him.

Rem took a breath, then walked forward. Tai followed her. And soon, the other digidestined did also. Kenta trailed after them lastly, afraid to get close to the foreboding figure on the ramp that they were walking toward. And sure enough, they didn't get within two feet of the door to the ship.

The metal stick in Count Midias' hand exploded in a flash of red…or that was what it looked like. But looking again, Kenta found himself staring at the last thing he'd ever expected to see: A red laser sword like a light saber, only somehow different. But for sure, it could probably do the very same things that a light saber could.

"You cannot leave here," Count Midias insisted, lifting the red laser in front of him. "I will not hesitate to stop you if you try."

"Midias….don't do it," Rem warned, an edge to her voice. Behind her, Ryo edged closer. From the look on his face, he knew that something was going to happen, and if he could stop it, he would.

Midias's face, still covered by the hood, slowly lifted to face her fully. The shadows cast made only his mouth visible. There was no smile, no emotion on his face…only a passive expression. He pointed his sword at her.

"I'm not afraid of that," Rem snorted. She drew herself to her full height, then shifted into a fighting stance. "Let's make a deal. You and I fight. If I win, we leave, and you never do illegal missions again."

"When I win, you will all stay." Midias sighed. "I didn't want to hurt anyone, but you give me no choice." He nodded. "We fight."

Rem made as if to argue, then nodded, shoving Ryo back. He looked annoyed, but then walked briskly over to Tai and whispered something in his ear. Tai nodded. And before anything else happened, a fight of great intensity began right in front of everyone.

Shivering, Kenta stood closer to the rest of the Tamers, whishing none of this were happening. They were in danger just waiting. They had to leave right away, and he knew it. But…what if Rem lost?

"Come on," Ryo whispered, coming over. "We are getting on that ship. Rem will hold him off. It's not safe here."

Kenta opened his mouth to argue, but nodded. Ryo was right. He just hoped that it worked.

(------)

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep…_

"Stupid buzzer," Aim hissed, leaping to his feet and fighting the urge to faint. He rubbed his face and groaned. "So you've found him eh?" Aim stared at his buzzer, which was beeping repeatedly to indicate that it was an urgent situation. Aim did not have any time to waste.

Muttering under his breath, he stocked himself up with as many weapons as he could carry without anyone noticing, and then strapped a gun to his leg for good measure. People should know he's armed, even if he never actually used that gun. The more useful ones were the ones he kept stored up his sleeves. He smirked, double-checked the room, then opened the window and jumped out. It was easier than using the stairs, not to mention his ship was parked right out the window. He threw himself inside, started the engine, and then sped toward the building where the buzzer signal was coming from.

"I hope he's still there when I get there, Midias," Aim whispered. "Or I'm not paying you anything!"

(------)

"Really?" Takuya asked, raising his eyebrows. "So when you found out that the digital world was being scanned, you started fighting for the good guys instead of trying to eat them?" He looked skeptical. "And that's how you got scanned."

"Yep." IceDevimon nodded, putting on a sad face. "It's amazing when you think about it. I used to like destruction. But when someone else comes and tries to destroy my territory, there's no way I'm letting them get away with it!"

Takuya sighed, eyes half closed. "I see." He rolled his eyes. "So here you've been trying to convince us that we're on the same side, but really your thought process is that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," isn't it? You haven't _really _changed your ways."

"What? I…hey you're turning this all around on me! I thought you were willing to be my friend!" IceDevimon frowned, his eyes glowing red for a second.

"I am," Takuya insisted. "It's you who seems like the kind I can't trust! What if you just want to eat our data to become stronger, so that you can escape this digital field and flee with your tail between your legs?"

"For one, I don't have a tail. And for another, you're just trying to provoke me." IceDevimon's eyes lit up red again, and he glared at Takuya. "That's not what you want, is it?"

Takuya shrugged. "I just want to find out your motives for approaching us."

The large digimon glared at Takuya for several minutes, but then laughed suddenly. "Oh fine, I see. You are testing me. Well, that is fine. I am not your enemy, nor do I want to _eat_ you. I just wanted company. Admit it, it is lonely in here."

"And hungry…" Takuya added.

"Shut up!" IceDevimon roared, standing up. "I am not trying to attack anyone!"

Takuya grinned sheepishly, shrugged, and then stood up. "I believe you," he said. "But I also like teasing people. And Kouji's in no mood to be teased right now." He turned and glanced at Kouji, who was sitting next to Rika a few feet away. They were talking in hushed voices, and Takuya hoped that they would be able to find their digimon.

"Hmm….I know a way to cheer him up," IceDevimon suggested. He looked thoughtful. "I saw another legendary warrior a few feet away when I was coming to you. But he looked like he was sleeping. We should go find him."

"Uh, no thanks." Takuya laughed again. "I'm not leaving this spot."

"It's only just that way. And besides, we'll still be able to hear them. If you want, I can go."

"Well then, go."

IceDevimon shrugged and started walking. "I think it was Lowemon. He should be right over here…" his form completely vanished in the white fog, leaving the three humans alone.

Takuya watched the mist where he had left, somewhat suspicious, and then sighed and turned back to Kouji. "My goal was to make him leave," he whispered, shivering. "I can't stand that guy."

"And I thought you trusted him, at first," Kouji rolled his eyes. "For a minute I really thought you were stupid!"

"Well, although I believe he was telling the truth about deciding to fight the enemy, I still think he had another reason for approaching us. And I just don't know what it is." Takuya frowned, crossing his arms. "He was getting really edgy whenever I talked about food…do you think it's because he really has stopped eating other digimon's data? Or because he hasn't and he wants to eat us? And if that's the case, why didn't he just do it? What is he up to?"

"I don't know but I…" Kouji blinked, then turned abruptly and looked behind him. "Rika?" he called. He stood up, frowning. "Takuya, Rika's gone!"

Takuya's eyes widened, and he clenched his fists together. "IceDevimon wanted Rika," he said angrily. "So that's what it was! But why? What for?"

"Rika was telling me a few things," Kouji frowned, worried. "I'm worried about what he might do to her."

"Eat her?"

"No. That would be kinder."

"Then maybe I don't want to know," Takuya suggested. "We've got to find her!"

"HOW?" Kouji waved his hands around. "In this fog? We could get ourselves hopelessly lost! There is no way we can just run off and find her! It's not that easy!"

"Yeah. This is getting really complicated." Takuya sighed and held his head. "Perhaps if Renamon were here, we could find Rika easier. Renamon would be able to find her Tamer eventually…"

"So what are your suggestions?"

"Why do I always have to come up with a plan?" Takuya asked, annoyed. "You never like them anyway!"

"That's cause they don't work." Kouji shrugged. "You give me a useless plan, I tell you it's useless, and then I provide us with a better one. That way, if mine is useless too, at least it'll look better than yours."

Takuya rolled his eyes dramatically. "Fine," he huffed. "Let's call Renamon, and try to find her and Lobomon. From there, we can search for Rika together. We'll be more prepared to fight IceDevimon that way.

Kouji opened his mouth, then shrugged. "That's what I would have said anyway," he commented. He smirked slightly at Takuya's miffed expression. "So let's go."

The two put aside their pointless argument and started yelling, Kouji for Lobomon, Takuya for Renamon. Who knew whether it would work or not?

(------)

"General, I think we have a location," the Computer Science Officer declared. General McDowen hurried over to look at the computer screen. "It's not exact, but if we send a ship to this location, we might be able to find it by looking. It's just outside of Pluto, outside Neptune's erratic path." The Officer smirked. "I think it's that "Tenth Planet" that the Earth has had so much trouble categorizing. Or is it the Ninth now that Pluto isn't a 'planet' anymore?"

"Ha!" General McDowen laughed openly, then straightened and walked toward the intercom. "Attention B-Group! Board Space Shuttle now. We will send you your mission once you are on board!"

"Roger that, General," the Sergeant replied, leading his troop of soldiers into the space shuttle. "We are boarded."

"Good. You will fly to these coordinates, locate the digital world, and report back to us immediately for further instruction."

"Sir, yes sir!"

General McDowen smiled, his determination still renewed. With the new discovery about digidestined and the digital world, he was sure to discover their hideout! And if he was wrong, it didn't matter because Aim was still searching Japan! Whatever the case, it was a win-win situation. He smirked and walked back towards the large database where all the digimon they had scanned were floating about in the digital field he'd had created, three captured digidestined somewhere inside. With them to experiment on, they would soon know all their secrets, and be able to crush them once and for all!

"The Earth shall be ours," he whispered. "We will not fail our Emperor." Satisfied, he turned and walked out, retiring to his office to do more research. Lt. Johnson could find him if something was needed.

"General?" Johnson's voice came through the com only two seconds later. "Would you like to be present for the interrogation of Stardashcircle's son?"

McDowen blinked. He'd forgotten. "Yes," he said. "I'll be right there." He stood up and marched out. That's right. After interrogating Stardashcircle's son, he had to check on the analysis of the Package, too. "Too many things to do," he sighed. Then he smirked again. "But it all leads to victory." Snickering, he hurried his pace to get to the interrogation room on time.

(------)

"Shinya, I don't think we're helping much," Suzie sighed, throwing herself to the ground. They were all exhausted from gathering all the digimon together and putting them into hiding, but Shinya was still trying to figure out what else they could do. "I don't think there is anything else we are supposed to do!"

"Then why are we here?" Shinya complained. He had a look that Tommy was well familiar with…a look Takuya usually wore when he wouldn't give up, even if his idea was stupid. They were definitely brothers.

"You've been saying that for hours," Jeremiah protested crossly. "Maybe all we are supposed to do is stay here so the digital world doesn't get scanned! If we do any more we might ruin things."

"Or we might make a difference somehow!" Shinya crossed his arms and huffed. "You are always so pessimistic!"

"And you are too much of a hot-head to realize when you need to calm down!" Jeremiah retorted. The two glared at each other, on the verge of fighting, until Tommy jumped up between the two of them.

"Guys, please don't," he groaned. "I had to endure it when Takuya and Kouji argued. I had to endure it when Takuya and Zoe argued. I had to endure it when Takuya and JP argued. I had to endure it when anyone argued. WELL I WONT ENDURE IT ANY MORE!" He shoved both of them backwards, making them land on their bums, and gave a huge sigh. "Stop arguing already! We are supposed to be on a team! Right now we need a rest, so that's what we're going to do. And if Shinya still thinks there is something else we can do to help, let him think it out! There is NO REASON to argue!"

He felt Suzie grab his arm, and turned to glare at her. "Tommy," she sighed, smiling at him with amusement. "We understand. Just sit down. You're tired too. We've been working all day."

Everyone seated themselves on the grass, apparently all cross with something or other, until they started to calm down. Eventually they all stopped glaring and huffing to themselves, and started to look around them with interest. It wasn't long before they all began to wonder what more they could do.

"We're digidestined," Kariko whispered, the first one to break the silence. "Doesn't that mean we have digimon partners? Maybe we can find them."

"If we do, they might already be scanned," Tommy sighed. "I don't think that's how we can help. What would we fight, anyway?"

"Oh. Well…." Kariko gave up with a shrug. "I don't know." She sounded disappointed.

"Maybe we can help rebuild," Suzie stated thoughtfully. "What do you think?"

"More work?" Jeremiah groaned.

"That might work," Shinya nodded. "Good idea. That is something we know we could do…." He sighed. "But it is more work to do. Oh well. I guess that means we can still do something." He looked up at the sky, and frowned in thought. "Maybe as digidestined, we could lend power to digimon who need it? I don't know…maybe that doesn't make sense, but I feel like we've got something that the digimon need. I just don't know what it is."

"Lend power?" Tommy frowned. "How?"

"I don't know." Shinya shrugged helplessly. "I'm just making wild guesses!"

Tommy frowned, immersed in thought. _Maybe he's onto something, _he thought eagerly. _Maybe Seraphimon will know. _He stood up, stretching. "I'll be right back. Gotta go…." He searched for a good excuse. "…Er…answer a call of nature…."

The others stared at him dully. "Like we care," Jeremiah rolled his eyes. "You don't have to tell us."

Tommy hid an irked blush and walked off. _Whatever, _he told himself. _It was just an excuse. _He hurried off to Seraphimon's castle, hoping he might be able to glean some useful information.

(------)

Izzy stood by the door, urging everyone inside the ship, and turned to give Tai the thumbs up when only Rem was left outside. Tai nodded and hurried to tell David. That left Rem to stop fighting at hop on. Hopefully, Izzy turned and watched, a worried expression on his face, as Count Midias' red laser sword got closer and closer to touching the young girl. He sighed, hoping she had the sense to stop the fight and dash to safety. It didn't look like she would win.

Then he noticed the digivice that lay forgotten on the roof, and gasped in horror. If the enemy took one of the digivices, they'd be able to discover so much about the digimon, the digital world, and the digidestined! He couldn't let them have it! Hastily he leaped out and dashed toward it, swooping an arm down to grab hold of it. The second it was in his hand, he turned and dashed toward the ship, but a loud boom seemed to freeze time around him. He turned his head to glance behind him, just catching sight of the gunman he'd seen on Davis' video, and then felt the bullet make contact with his leg. He landed on his side, the digivice popping out of his hand and landing a few feet away.

Seconds later, a piercing scream filled the area. Izzy turned to stare at the fight, instantly horrified. Count Midias had moved in, swiping with his sword, and Rem fell to the ground missing half of her right arm. But Izzy didn't have time to see anymore. The gunman was standing in front of him.

"Koushiro Izumi," the gunman smirked, reaching down and yanking Izzy up by his shirt collar. "We have need of your skills."

Izzy trembled, terrified, and tried to get away, but the pain in his shot leg was too intense. He could hardly hear anything going on around him, just his own rushing heartbeat. He closed his eyes in failure. _I've doomed us, _his mind wailed. _This is all my fault! _He felt a weak whimper escape his throat as the gunman dragged him toward a different ship and tossed him inside. Then before he knew it, he was being flown off of the planet and into space.

"Good work, Midias," the gunman whispered tiredly. "I'll leave the rest to you."

(------)

"NOOOOOOO!" Rem screamed, falling to her knees. She grabbed her arm stump with her left hand, the wound already burned closed from the sword. Midias stood threateningly before her, his sword pointed in her face. Petrified, Rem looked up at it, shaking uncontrollably. For the first time in her life, she felt like she could faint from sheer and utter terror. That sword…that terrible weapon….in the hands of someone she knew…."How could you?" she whispered. "Why did you….?"

Midias made no attempt to put his sword away. "I told you I would win, Rem." He said tiredly. "I didn't want to fight. At least this way I don't have to kill you. But you remember the deal. I win, you all stay."

"Well you didn't win!" someone yelled. Rem looked up weakly to see Tai and the rest of the digidestined surrounding them, determined expressions on their faces. They jumped at Midias angrily, yelling a battle cry at the same time, as Midias held up his sword to deflect them and kill them if he had to. Rem cried out a warning, and blinked in shock as a bright light shone from all the digivices that the digidestined carried, and with a combine glow, the lights surrounded the red laser sword and forced it to turn itself off. The next thing Rem knew, Midias was grabbed by dozens of hands and forced down, then tied up and carried onto David's ship as a prisoner.

Rem didn't know what to think. The digidestined…they had fought Midias together….for her! She shivered, still in pain, and dropped her head. In the end, she had not been able to do anything for them. It was they who saved her.

"Hey."

Rem looked up through foggy eyes, seeing the face of Ryo the Cyborg in front of her. "What?" she demanded, trying to sound tough and aloof. "What do you want?"

Ryo closed his eyes and sighed, then opened them again. "I wanted to say thank you." He reached down and picked Rem up, holding her in such a way that he did not touch her aching right arm-stub. "Come on, your brother is worried. We have to hurry."

Rem nodded weakly, unable to fight him, and allowed him to carry her into the ship. Inwardly she screamed at the top of her lungs. She hated being weak. She hated it! But…these digidestined…they treated her so kindly, even thought they didn't even know her. She closed her eyes to hold in the tears that were fighting to come out. She hoped that she'd be able to repay them someday. They were…so kind….

Slowly she began to fade from consciousness, and heard voices she could not place.

"She's fainting!"

"It's fine…I fainted too when I lost mine…"

"We need to get to my home. I'm sorry Tai, but it's too late. Izzy's gone…"

"No! he can't be! Izzy no!"

"Hold him! Tai, don't jump out, we're already 20 feet in the air!"

"Don't worry….no tracking device on the ship….made sure….."

"What...do now?"

"Just……be there soon……..find a way……"

Rem slipped out of the conscious world altogether, unable to stand the pain any longer.

(------)

That's all. What do you think? Are you ready for the plot twists that I'm slowly bringing in? Maybe? Oh well. Have fun. Thanks for bearing with me in this story, and for reading and reviewing it! You guys are all so kind! I know that huge adventure stories like this can sometimes get boring to read, but I am so amazed that you are still with me and supporting me. I am so happy! So I'll just tell you that soon this story will be finished, and you wont have to put up with it any longer. Though I do appreciate all your support!

Please continue to review this story! It makes me so happy! God bless you!

--rika195


	14. Chapter 14

**Stardashcircle**---------------------Chapter 14!

Sup peoples?

* * *

**A BIG THANK YOU TO**: 

**Kouzumi93**

**black peeches**

**ProdigiousDiscourse**

**Rael-Lirdu**

**Tremble Wolf**

Your support is what keeps me going! Thanks for sticking with me, even though I take so long to update! You are the best!

And to the rest of you all……..thanks for reading! But…..I'll never know what you think if you don't tell me. That's what the REVIEW button is for!!!!

* * *

**- **

**Disclaimer**: I don't own nothing to do with Digimon.

-

* * *

"Emily, wake up." 

Rem frowned, groaned, and then snapped her eyes open. David was leaning over her with a worried expression. "David?" she asked. "Why are you calling me Emily?"

"Cause I always call you Emily at home," he offered a faint chuckle of relief to see that she was awake. "I could call you Remaline if you like."

"No," Rem snapped. She took a deep breath. "I like being called Emily better." She tried to sit up, but couldn't even move an inch. Instantly she frowned again. What was holding her down? "David, what's going on?" she demanded. "Let me go!"

"I can't." David shrugged. "Look…..your arm got cut off, and Dad had a doctor come and make you a replacement. And you can't move or else you could find yourself in serious pain."

"Wonderful," Rem rolled her eyes. "What about those digidestined?"

"They're somewhere. They all were given rooms, and now they're probably all meeting in Tai's room again. They don't know what to think, and they're really confused." David grinned widely. "You didn't tell them you were a princess, did you?"

"No." Rem snorted. "That's going to make me look even stupider in their eyes. No way I'm going to tell them that!"

"Well, they know it now. Thanks to Bronc."

Rem sighed. "Bronc….." she groaned, annoyed. Bronc was their butler and head of their security team. He just loved to tell people what Rem didn't want them to hear. Rem sighed and closed her eyes, trying to think through the situation she found herself in. She was a princess, unfortunately, and her entire family were bounty hunters. Usually they lived on another planet, but for their own safety, they had moved to Earth. They lived in a mansion in Ireland, which had over a hundred rooms, and had such an advanced security system that it would take a miracle for the NW to find them. Which was a good thing. This was their hideout, where no one located them. It was the perfect hideout for the digidestined as well, and Rem couldn't help being relieved they had listened to her and come.

Remaline Calay, or just Emily, as she preferred to be called when she was at home, was still under training to become a bounty hunter. Technically, she wasn't supposed to be doing missions of any sort, or even leaving the house, but that never stopped her. Of course, she always seemed to end up in some kind of trouble…like this, for instance. Though this by far took the cake.

"I have to get up," she declared finally, feeling agitated by her lack of activity. "I need to talk to the digidestined!"

"Can't letcha do that, Em. It's the doctor's orders."

"I don't care, I want to get up!" She was panicking now. She hated not moving…hated it with a passion… "DAVID LET ME GO!"

Her brother looked scared for a moment, but before he could say anything, he was roughly pushed aside by a tall, older man Rem knew well. Trainer, the doctor in question, lifted a syringe and injected it into her arm. "Calm down," he ordered. "You're going to be okay."

Rem felt her senses dull, and her body grow heavy. She let out a strangled sigh and closed her eyes.

"You'll be okay…"

It all blurred away into nothing.

* * *

Izzy shivered uncontrollably. It wasn't because he was cold, or because he was in pain. No, it was because he was scared. He knew that this entire situation was his fault, and that if it hadn't been for him, the NW would have never discovered the digital world. And now, he was captured by them, strapped in an interrogation chair, waiting till that moment when they would force him to help them out. But he wouldn't do it…not for anything…he'd refuse! This was his fault…and he would have to be the one to set it right. 

It was just his luck that a small party of NW decided to enter the interrogation room at that moment. Two guards, plus the gunman who had captured Izzy, and a tall man who looked like he was in charge of the situation. He was followed by two people in white uniforms, wearing gloves. They were either doctors or specialists of a kind Izzy would rather not know about.

The one who looked like he was in charge gave Izzy a pleased smirk. "Welcome to our little operation," he said mildly. "I hope we didn't keep you waiting long?"

His optimism only caused Izzy more fear, which caused more shivering. Izzy clamped his mouth shut, determined not to say anything at all.

"Well, no matter," the man sighed. He seated himself at a chair across from Izzy, and laced his fingers together with a thoughtful look. "Let's start with introductions, shall we? My name is General McDowen, and I'll be the one you answer to. I'm the one everyone here answers to, actually. And you, I understand, are Koushiro Izumi, sometimes referred to as Izzy. Correct?"

Izzy glared at him…or tried to. He dropped it halfway through the motion of making it, since he felt too freaked out. Where was this going, anyway?

"You must know why you're here," the General continued, his smirk widening. "I believe it is you we have to thank for all our progress here. Without you, this might never have happened."

_Don't I know it,_Izzy groaned inwardly. He hung his head and tried not to sigh in despair.

"Which brings me to why you are here," McDowen stated, losing his casual tone and taking on a more military one. "We have been having some trouble working through the code we have scanned. We don't understand it, and we need someone who does. You, according to our research, know everything about it. So we want you to analyze it and compile it for us. It would make our jobs so much easier."

Izzy lifted his head, and this time managed to glare quite darkly. "I'll never help you," he whispered. "And you can't make me."

"I'm afraid we can, Izumi. I know for a fact you don't want to test us." His eyes narrowed. "Now I'm going to ask you nicely to do what we tell you to. If you do not do as instructed, to the letter, then I'm going to have to take a more drastic approach. You don't want that, I assure you."

"I don't," Izzy agreed cautiously, "But I know that I don't want to help you more than I don't want those drastic measures." He gulped and his own boldness, wondering where it had come from.

"Perhaps," McDowen couldn't help smiling slightly. The look in his eyes seemed to imply that he appreciated Izzy's insight, and also his dedication. "But I'm sure that we could change your mind." He stood up from his chair, and held out his hand. Someone handed him a laptop, which he set on the table in front of Izzy. Next he walked over and unbolted Izzy's wrists from their clasps. "Now," he instructed, his tone threatening and edged with authority, "Take the file that is open, and categorize the data. That's all I'm asking you to do…for now."

Izzy's body shook, as he struggled to remain calm. He stared at the file, noticing a familiar code stored inside it. The code was data, from digimon that had been scanned, and most of it was scrambled together from people's attempts to dissect it and use it. Something was wrong with it though, as if someone had tampered with it to make it unusable. And for Izzy to compile it, he would not only solve their problem, but make them able to use the digimon's data to create a weapon of mass destruction.

"No," he growled, surprised at his own animosity. He turned away so he didn't have to look at the screen. "I wont do it. You can't make me."

"I'm afraid we can," McDowen snapped. "Compile that data, Izumi. NOW!"

"No," Izzy insisted, more weakly this time.

"Last chance," McDowen threatened. He lifted a hand and pointed at the computer. "Do it, or suffer. And trust me, you wont be the only one suffering for your lack of cooperation. The rest of our captives will suffer too."

Izzy shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut. He couldn't! He couldn't do it! No matter the cost…

He heard the General sigh. He could feel the tension in the room. "So be it," McDowen hissed. And with that, he exited the room.

Izzy opened his eyes, gulping, and watched as the gunman who had captured him gave him a disapproving-yet-sympathetic look, before following the General out. The two doctors closed the door and turned upon their captive.

"So," one of them stated dryly. "Where should we start?"

Izzy wondered if it was too late to hope for mercy.

* * *

Tai banged his head against the wall, over and over and over and over and… 

"TAI STOP IT!" Someone grabbed his shoulders from behind and dragged him backwards, twisting him and tossing him onto a couch. "You want to kill yourself?"

Tai looked up weakly, finding himself staring at Matt. He sighed and covered his face with his hands. "Matt," he cried. "Matt why? Why did this have to happen? Why did Izzy have to get captured? Why did these NW have to come and ruin our lives? WHY? WHY COULDN'T I DO ANYTHING TO STOP IT?"

Matt stepped forward, wondering if he was going to have to restrain Tai from doing something stupid, but then sighed and joined his friend on the couch. "Tai," he said slowly, "I feel just as lost and upset as you do. But…there wasn't anything you could do back there. It happened."

"That's not GOOD ENOUGH," Tai growled. "There has to be something I can do! I wont sit back and watch this all happen!"

"I wasn't finished," Matt snapped. "Yeah there was nothing you could do back there at the time. But that doesn't mean you can't do anything now. We WILL get Izzy back. And Davis, and everyone else. We're not going to let them stay there. We have a new base now, remember? They can't find us, can't get us here. We can strike back now. We can stop them. Okay? So stop hurting yourself and do something productive! These digidestined are lost and confused. They need direction! And you're the one everyone is looking up to."

"Why me?" Tai sighed in frustration. "Why not you?"

"Cause you're the leading type," Matt smiled faintly. "You've got that charismatic personality that makes people want to follow you. You have a natural instinct to make decisions and follow through on them. People need that, look for it, admire it. They can't help looking to you to guide them." He shrugged and gave Tai's shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "But you know, just because you're the leader doesn't mean you have to lead alone. The rest of us are here behind you, ready to support you, help you think things through. Whatever it is you need, we'll be here for you. We just need you to keep going. Don't give up yet."

Tai nodded vaguely, not really looking like he felt encouraged. "I can't help feeling like we're going to fail," he whispered. "Like it's all my fault that we weren't prepared for something like this. How can I make good decisions if I don't even have a clue what to do?"

Matt shrugged. He didn't know. "I'm sure that we'll think of something," he said quietly.

Tai gave him a helpless look. "Like what?"

"Hey…um…Tai? That is your name, right?"

Tai and Matt looked up to see the kid called Kenta looking at them hesitantly. "Yeah, that's me," Tai sighed.

"Well, that Butler guy named Bronc…" Kenta tried to explain, "He says that the one called Midias is being held prisoner, and that the doctor—I think his name is Trainer?—anyway, the doctor put him under sedation and truth serum, and he's answering questions. Apparently, you're supposed to ask him stuff right away before it wears off and he becomes immune to it. So…"

Tai pulled himself up from the couch and nodded. "I don't like it," he stated angrily. "I don't like it at all. It's too much like…like a war I don't want to have. But…" he followed Kenta out the door, Matt following quietly. "But I'll do what needs to be done to save our friends…to save our world…and the digital world."

Matt placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's why you're the leader," he whispered.

Tai hoped Matt was right.

* * *

Seraphimon stood still as Tommy rushed toward him, then skidded to a stop two feet away. He just waited, silent, as Tommy caught his breath. 

"I need to ask you something," Tommy blurted, his words tumbling over each other in his haste to speak them. "Something about what we can do here!"

Seraphimon nodded. "Let's hear it," he sighed.

"While we're here," Tommy began, "It seems that the enemy can no longer scan the world. That's just my observation, and I think it's because the digital world has to change in order to support humans. The enemy's scanners can no longer process the data. But there has to be something else we can do while we're here!"

"Like what?" Seraphimon asked tiredly. "I do not know if there is anything possible for you to do. There might not even be partners for you."

"That's okay," Tommy said quickly, trying not to get depressed about Kumamon. "But what I mean is something else. Something more substantial."

Seraphimon seemed to frown thoughtfully. "What do you mean?" he demanded.

"It's like this:" Tommy seated paced back and forth, trying to put his thoughts into words. "Digidestined have always seemed to have the ability to grant power to their digimon partners. Without us, they can't digivolve fully, and when they have lost energy and can't go on any further, we are able to give them energy, seemingly out of nowhere. It seems to grow out of us naturally. It doesn't quite make sense, but the way I see it, our emotions grant power to digimon."

"Go on," Seraphimon insisted, growing more interested with each word.

"Something Shinya said gave me an idea," Tommy continued. "He said that maybe we could lend energy to digimon, and I thought that he might have something going there. What if we could lend energy? What if we could help rebuild the digital world, or create some kind of shield that protects it better than the protection we give it just by being here?"

"It's worth a try," Seraphimon shrugged. "Anything is, really. But I don't know how you'd do that."

"That's okay," Tommy smiled confidently. "Shinya will be able to think of something."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cause he's Takuya's brother! And somehow, determination and willingness to keep going even when it's not clear how to do that makes things happen that wouldn't normally be possible, especially here in the digital world. I have a feeling that he'll be the one to get us to do the impossible. Plus, he's frustrated like heck. That usually gets him motivated."

"Then get out there and explain your theory."

"I will," Tommy grinned. He dashed out just as quickly as he had come, leaving Seraphimon to shake his head and sigh.

"This is why we need them," he thought to himself. "Because they can believe the impossible into being."

* * *

"RENAMON!" 

"LOBOMON!"

"RENAMON!"

"LOBOMON!"

"RANAMON!"

"LOBO…" Kouji paused and made a face. "Takuya, you just said 'Ranamon'."

"No I didn't," Takuya mumbled.

"Yes you did."

"No, I said Renamon, you just heard me wrong."

"No, you said Ranamon."

"Kouji, I think I know what I said. And I said..."

"...Ranamon."

"Did not!"

"Did too."

"Oh yeah wul..."

"Will you two shut up?"

Kouji stopped arguing, and turned to find Renamon walking towards them out of the fog. She looked angry and agitated, and her fur was standing on end. Argument instantly forgotten, Kouji ran forward and stopped in front of her. "Renamon, something's happened!" he stated, scowling. "Rika's been captured by IceDevimon!"

Renamon's eyes narrowed dangerously, and something about the way she trembled with the desire to destroy something scared Kouji. "I know," she growled. "I can feel it. But I can't find her. That's why I came to find you. I heard you calling. If you hadn't called, I would have still been lost."

Kouji nodded slowly. "We don't know where she is either."

"Hey wait," Takuya interrupted. "I think I know how to find her!"

"How?" Kouji glared at him, annoyed. How come Takuya was suddenly coming up with all these good ideas? It was annoying!

"I have my D-tector. I'll search for her that way. Meanwhile, we'll walk around and try to feel where IceDevimon is. It's always colder around him. It'll be like playing Hot-and-Cold, only opposite," Takuya grinned. "Course, you guys are going to have to be the ones to tell if it's cold or not. All I can feel is a burning fire in my chest…"

"Thanks for letting us know," Kouji rolled his eyes. He tried to come up with a better idea, but he couldn't deny this was a good one. "Just get your D-tector out and start scanning. Let's walk."

Renamon followed the two of them as they did just that, looking back and forth anxiously. She would be the one to tell where Rika was located, as she could sense her Tamer, so they had to pay close attention to her. Takuya' D-tector seemed to be working just fine, and began to point out whenever a digimon was nearby.

Presently, they decided to stop and ask questions of the digimon they found. Once or twice the digimon would be coherent enough to answer, but for the most part, they had no idea where Icedevimon went. And most of them were too shocked and confused to offer more than complaints or wails of hopelessness. So the group kept moving, searching, hoping to find someone who knew what they were looking for. But it was beginning to feel hopeless.

"I wish we'd find someone who's actually helpful," Kouji mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets and shivered. "It's cold, and I'm tired of this nonsense."

Takuya and Renamon both stopped abruptly. "What did you say?" Takuya demanded.

Kouji gave him a weird look. "I said it's…" his eyes widened. "…cold!" he looked around him earnestly. "It's cold," he repeated. "Can't…can't you guys feel that?"

Renamon scowled. "No," she said darkly. "But you are a human. You are more susceptible to cold."

"I can't tell," Takuya repeated earnestly. "Kouji, I think you're the only one who can. That means you have to lead us to Rika."

Kouji blinked, surprised, but offered a simple nod. For a brief moment he felt relieved, like he was actually useful again, but then he grew serious and focused on the feeling of cold. For a while, he wandered around in a circular direction, trying to figure out which way was colder. After several circles, he shivered and shrank away from something that felt like an icy wind. He nodded in that direction. "That way," he stated.

They hurried in that direction, Kouji leading, Renamon following, and Takuya taking up the read. They were getting close…close to finding Icedevimon.

And the cold intensified. Shivering like mad, Kouji clamped his arms around his chest and tried to keep going. But it grew harder, like the ice digimon knew they were coming, and was trying to stop them. Each step grew slower and slower, each breath harder and harder…until Kouji's eyes threatened to close. He toppled over, too cold to continue. "I'm….freezing…" he tried to say.

The last thing he felt was a warm hand on his shoulder, and someone yelling out his name.

That was probably Takuya. Takuya was always yelling when he got intense…

* * *

Dann lifted his head from the table as the door opened, and someone walked in. He actually breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh praise God," he declared. "What took you so long?" 

The man stared at him in momentary shock, as if he couldn't believe what was just said. But it quickly passed, and he took a seat across from his captive. "Dannflorr Donajin Albrite," the man said, clearing his throat. "Do you know why you're here?"

"No freakin way," Dann hissed. "And I hope you're going to tell me because frankly, I am sick of NOT KNOWING!"

The man couldn't help cracking a smile. "Well this is interesting," he stated. "You honestly don't know?"

"Not a clue." Dann glared at him. Tapped his fingers. Huffed in annoyance. Finally he let out an annoyed sigh. "Aren't you going to tell me?"

"Perhaps."

"Look, either tell me why I'm here, or just question me already. I probably can't answer anything, cause I sure as heck don't know anything, but just do SOMETHING cause I'm sick of waiting around!"

"That certainly makes my job easier," the man shrugged. "Very well then, you're here because of who you are. Because you pose a possible threat to me and my mission."

"What the heck…" Dann groaned and dropped his head to the table again. "Not that again…please, for heaven's sake, I don't know what that means! I don't know who you think I am, but I am no threat to you! I can't do anything to you, don't know anything that might hinder you, and never had any intention of getting into trouble! Why have you guys been chasing me down all my life? If you were worried I might do something in the future, you should have just IGNORED ME! All you've done is made me angry, and BECAUSE you keep harassing me, I'd probably want to be a threat."

The man waited, apparently satisfied to just let Dann rant.

Dann had no trouble obliging. All his life he'd wanted to yell at these people. Now he was getting his chance. "Look," he snapped, raising his head and glaring. "You have no reason to hold me here, or capture me in the first place. But now that you've captured me, I've got a reason to fight back. NOW I'm a threat, whereas I wasn't before! Not that I actually know anything of value, nor can I actually do anything against you. You've just done one more thing to make me mad. You should have just left me well enough alone!"

The man nodded thoughtfully. "Finished?" he mocked. Dann glared at him hatefully. "Good. Now it's my turn." He leaned forward and placed his hands on the table, lacing his fingers together. "We've brought you here because you are the descendant of our greatest enemy. That doesn't mean that we hold anything against you personally, it just means that we don't want you to suddenly become a problem to us. Now, we're not going to do anything to you, we just want to keep you out of the way. Does that make sense?"

"What does it matter?" Dann scoffed. "You'll do it anyway."

"Precisely." The man stood. "I am General McDowen, and I'm in charge here. You are because we are eliminating all of our blind spots, our weak links, or whatever else you want to call it. I haven't decided what I want to ask you, and I haven't decided what I'm going to do with you yet. But I am sure that when the time comes, you'll cooperate, wont you?" he narrowed his eyes dangerously at his captive.

Dann simply glared back at him. "We'll see," he snapped. "Maybe if you stop treating me like I'm the bad guy, and get me out of these chains, I'll help. But not if all you're going to do is force me to talk about something I know nothing about."

"That's not for you to decide."

"Then look at it this way: I'll cooperate if you stop terrorizing me. If locking me up is what you want, fine. Just lock me up in a room, not a chair."

"You're saying you'll cooperate?"

"Look, I don't know what you want me to cooperate with, and neither do you. So how can I know? I just know that I'd be more willing if you stopped being so…" he sighed and shook his head. "Who am I kidding? You're still going to treat me like a spy or prisoner of war. So why bother? It's like I'm talking to myself!"

The General seemed to think about it for a moment, before turning and walking toward the door. "Listen Dannflorr…" he paused. "Can I call you Dann?"

Dann rolled his eyes. "I greatly prefer it," he snapped. Seriously, who's idea was it to name him _Dannflorr? _What kind of stupid name was that?

"Dann, then. Listen closely. I may be in charge here, but I also answer to people. That means I can't just let you go, or lock you in a cell. I still have to question you, though I have no doubt I've learned everything I'm going to learn already. I want to make this easier for all of us, but I can't do that without proper authorization. So why don't you just sit tight, and I'll be back to settle this." He left the room, not giving his captive any time to answer.

Dann dropped his head back to the table in frustration. Great. So if his ploy to cooperate wasn't going to work…how the heck was he going to escape? What was REALLY going on here? _Whatever it is, _he thought, clenching his fingers into fists, _I'll stop it. I'll ruin their lives, just as they've ruined mine. _

* * *

And….That's all. What do you think? 

Sorry for the intenseness of this story and all. It's pretty heavy. I hope you can handle it. And I'm also sorry it's so short. But it's the best I can do right now. So...there you have it.

Thanks for bearing with me in this story, and for reading and reviewing it! You guys are all so kind! I know that huge adventure stories like this can sometimes get boring to read, but I am so amazed that you are still with me and supporting me. I am so happy! So I'll just tell you that soon this story will be finished, and you wont have to put up with it any longer. Though I do appreciate all your support!

Please continue to review this story! It is very helpful, not to mention it makes me so happy! So, God bless, and see you next time!

--rika195


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